Allergy Headaches: What Patients Need to Know

Jax Allergy

updated Apr 2023

It’s estimated that nearly 70-80% of Americans experience headaches. Those who suffer from allergies already have to deal with rashes, difficulty breathing, congestion, and a host of other unpleasant side effects. Yet, sinus headaches and even migraines can also be added to this list of allergy side effects.

While headaches aren’t typically life-threatening, they can affect your quality of life. If you suffer from allergies and headaches, here’s what you need to know and how to treat them.

Symptoms of a Sinus Headache

Your sinuses are hollow air spaces which allow the exchange of air and mucus. These passages are located behind the eyes and the bridge of the nose, in the forehead, and inside each cheekbone. Any secretions in the sinus cavities typically drain into the nose.

Sinus pain is caused when the sinuses are swollen, filled with fluid or the openings are obstructed. Any obstruction stops normal drainage and causes pressure to build up inside. Many times, the pain is in relation to the affected sinuses. Sinusitis pain can be dull or intense and often is worse in the morning hours after you wake up.

How are Allergy Headaches Different from Other Types of Headaches?

“Allergy headaches” are a common complaint of people who struggle with environmental allergies. They typically occur when the body’s immune system reacts to a foreign substance, such as pollen, dust, or animal dander. The immune system responds by releasing histamines and other chemicals, which can cause inflammation and swelling within the nasal passages and sinuses. This sudden inflammation can lead to a pressure and pain sensation in the face and head, resulting in –what some call– an allergy headache.

By contrast, other types of headaches have different triggers and causes. For example, tension headaches can be caused by stress or tension in the muscles of the neck and head or injury to those muscles. Migraine headaches are thought to be caused by unclear vascular and  neuronal changes in the brain and can be triggered by factors such as hormonal changes or sensory stimuli (such as bright lights or strong smells).

Allergy Headache Triggers

Allergies can trigger sinus pressure and headaches from several sources. The most common allergens and triggers include:

• Certain foods
• Dust
• Pet Dander
• Pollen
• Sinus congestion
• Smoke
• Stress

What Does a Pollen Allergy Headache Feel Like?

Allergy headaches can also be distinguished from other types of headaches by their symptoms.

A pollen allergy headache often feels like a dull or throbbing pain in the temples or forehead and throughout the nose and cheekbone areas. The pain may be accompanied by pressure or a sensation of fullness in the head.

In addition to the headache pain, allergy headaches can cause other symptoms such as bothersome nasal congestion/obstruction, pressure and pain surrounding the nose, forehead, and cheekbones. Also, nasal drainage, itchy or watery eyes, and sneezing can also accompany allergy headaches. These symptoms are not typically seen with tension or migraine headaches. Some people may also experience fatigue, irritability, or difficulty concentrating during a pollen allergy headache.

Managing Allergy Headaches and Triggers

The key to managing your allergies and reducing headaches is limiting exposure to allergens and triggers.

• Stay indoors and keep the windows shut when pollen counts are high.
• Wear glasses or sunglasses outdoors to keep pollen from getting in your eyes.
• Use the air conditioning in your home and in your car. Make sure to change out the air filters regularly and keep AC units clean.
• Use mite-proof covers in your bedroom for pillows, comforters, and mattresses to reduce exposure to dust mites.
• Keep your home’s humidity at 30-50% to reduce exposure to mold. Clean your kitchen, bathrooms, and basement regularly and use a dehumidifier in damp, humid places.
• Wash floors with a damp mop or rag to avoid dry-sweeping or dusting.
• If you are allergic to a pet, keep them outside of your home. If a pet must be kept indoors, keep it out of the bedroom so you are not exposed to allergens while you sleep.
• Replace carpeting with hardwood, tile or linoleum to reduce dander in the home.

Many sinus headache triggers are airborne and difficult to avoid. Discuss your options with your allergist to decide which treatment options are best for you.

Treatment for Allergy Headaches

If your allergy headaches persist, your allergist may recommend one or more of the following treatments to offer relief.

• Pain Relievers: Advil (ibuprofen) and Tylenol (acetaminophen) can offer short-term relief for sinus pain.
• Oral & Nasal Decongestants: Available in over the counter (OTC) medications, these can treat nasal congestion and relieve pressure which causes sinus headaches.
• Antihistamines: Histamines are natural chemicals in your body responsible for your body’s response to allergens. Antihistamines help block these chemicals to reduce allergy symptoms. Both OTC and prescription antihistamines are available.
• Intranasal Corticosteroids: These medications are extremely effective at treating allergic rhinitis and help reduce sneezing, itching, nasal congestion, and runny nose.
• Immunotherapy (allergy shots): If you don’t respond well to medications or experience side effects, allergy shots may be recommended by your allergist for a more permanent solution to an allergy problem.

If you’re experiencing sinus headaches and pain due to allergies, speak with your allergist for treatment options. Contact the professionals at the Allergy & Asthma Specialists of North Florida to schedule an appointment today.

Allergy Headaches: Causes, Triggers, Symptoms & Treatment

If you suffer from allergies, that bad headache may be triggered by allergy symptoms. Some refer to it as an allergy headache, although it gets somewhat complicated from there.

Some patients report allergy headaches as a direct link to their allergies. What they’re referring to may be discomfort in the nasal passages due to allergy symptoms or a different type of headache altogether.

Sinus headaches and migraines can both be triggered by allergies or even a cervical spinal misalignment.

It’s essential to understand the root causes of your headache. An accurate diagnosis will determine your treatment plan and triggers to avoid and prevent future headaches.

What is an allergy headache?

An allergy headache refers to the symptoms associated with your allergies more than an actual type of headache. Allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, is a common inflammation of the inside of your nose caused by allergens. That inflammation can present as pain that feels like a headache.

What does an allergy headache feel like? An allergy headache can feel like sinus pressure and facial pain throughout the nose, forehead, and cheekbones.

It can present with symptoms that resemble the common cold: sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes/watery eyes, nasal congestion, and nasal buildup.

What you’re referring to as an allergy headache may be a different kind of headache, as well.

Your headache may be caused by a sinus infection, migraines, ice pick headaches, or other underlying conditions or triggers. If you’re waking up with headaches, for example, that could be a sign of an undiagnosed sleep disorder.

Headaches could also be triggered by other factors outside of allergies, even among those who have allergies. Those include:

• Cold or flu symptoms
• Stress
• Alcohol
• Hormonal changes
• Teeth grinding at night
• Changes in diet
• Lack of sleep/Change in sleep patterns

Allergy Headache Symptoms

Allergy headache symptoms present like other common headache symptoms, which further emphasizes a whole-body approach to treating the cause of your discomfort.

What are the symptoms of an allergy headache? The symptoms of an allergy headache include pain in your sinuses and moderate to severe facial pain.

If your allergy headache is caused by a migraine, which is a common occurrence, migraine symptoms can also include:

• Throbbing, pulsing pain on one or both sides of the head
• Sensitivity to light, smell, and sound
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness
• Head pain that worsens with movement

According to the American Migraine Foundation, a migraine can even present with allergy- and cold-like symptoms. It isn’t uncommon for a migraine to come with a stuffy nose and watery eyes, two hallmark symptoms among allergy sufferers. 

Additional symptoms, or prodrome symptoms, may occur in the days leading up to a migraine. Depending on the type of migraine, you may also experience visual symptoms or auras.

Symptoms for true sinus headaches, or rhinosinusitis, include:

• Weaker smell/lack of smell
• Facial pain/pressure
• Fever

Again, sinus headaches are rare. More likely than not, there are other triggers and root causes behind that allergy headache.

Common Triggers of Allergy Headaches

Allergy headache triggers coincide with your allergy triggers. Those include:

• Seasonal allergies
• Pollen
• Pet dander
• Dust mites
• Mold
• Stress
• Certain foods

Some allergy sufferers experience worse symptoms in the springtime. Changes in weather and barometric pressure are both migraine triggers, as well. The list of migraine triggers is much longer and can include everything from environmental factors to medications to dehydration.

Diagnosis

An accurate diagnosis is essential to successfully treating headaches related to allergies.

Your physician will want to know where the pain is located, whether that’s the top of your head or focused on one side. They’ll ask about any additional pain or symptoms and whether you’ve tried anything for those symptoms.

If you’re sure what you’re dealing with is an allergy headache, your physician or allergist can run a series of allergy tests to identify specific triggers.

What you’re feeling in your sinuses may not be sinusitis or a sinus headache, for example, but migraine pain. Again, sinus headaches are quite rare and often over-diagnosed, even self-diagnosed by patients complaining of sinus pressure.

More often than that, that patient is actually experiencing a migraine, as allergies can be a trigger for chronic migraines, or sinus problems that present with a bad headache. 

Causes of Allergy Headache

The causes of your allergy headache may depend on your allergies and the type of headache you’re experiencing. There are common causes of allergy headaches:

• Misalignment of the upper cervical spine: Sometimes migraine or sinus headaches are really misalignments in the spine that require adjustment for long term relief.
• Migraines: The headache you’re experiencing may be the result of allergens triggering an immune system response. This causes inflammation that presents as a migraine attack. If you’re a chronic migraine sufferer, it may not have anything to do with your allergies at all.
• Hay fever: Headaches caused by hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, aren’t a result of sinus headaches. It’s the inflammation in your nasal passages that is causing you that discomfort.
• Food allergies: Some foods can trigger a headache response not because of the allergy itself, but because of your own food sensitivities. There is some evidence that foods like dairy, chocolate, and eggs may cause migraines in some.
• Histamine: Histamines are your immune system’s response to allergy triggers. They can cause the worst of your allergy symptoms, and may even trigger migraines in those prone to chronic headaches. Antihistamines are a common treatment for allergy sufferers.

If you have a sinus headache or migraine, the list of causes is much longer. True sinus headaches are the result of a sinus infection.

How long does an allergy headache last? An allergy headache can last as long as you’re exposed to the triggers for your headache and allergy symptoms.

It also depends on the real cause of your headache. A true sinus headache can last up to 2 weeks. Migraine attacks can last for hours and up to days at a time.

Prevention

Allergy headache prevention is focused on limiting your exposure to known allergens. That may mean spending more time inside during allergy season and leaving the yard work for those without seasonal allergies.

To prevent the worst allergy symptoms:

• Shut windows on days with high pollen counts
• Use a dehumidifier
• Use allergy-friendly bedding
• Wash your hands often, especially after you’ve been in contact with known allergens
• Vacuum and dust regularly
• Avoid strong-smelling fragrances, air fresheners, and deodorizers
• Consider bare floors if your living space is carpeted

Home Care & Natural Remedies

If you’ve been unable to avoid allergic headache triggers, there are accessible remedies out there to treat those symptoms.

How do you get rid of an allergy headache? To get rid of an allergy headache, try over-the-counter antihistamines, decongestants, or nasal sprays. These remedies work to relieve sinus congestion and pressure.

Lots of water, steam baths, and warm washcloths applied to areas where you’re feeling the most pressure can also help relieve your symptoms if you’re seeking more natural remedies.

Allergy Headache Treatments

To treat an allergy headache, your plan of attack should start with treating the allergies if that’s the root cause of your pain.

If over-the-counter remedies don’t work or if symptoms are severe, talk to an allergist about additional treatments. An allergist could also work with you on a treatment plan to prevent recurring symptoms.

Those treatments may include immunotherapy, or allergy shots. Allergy shots prevent allergic reactions in the first place, and reduce your sensitivity to allergens that may be causing your distress.

Your treatment options may also look different if you find that your headache isn’t due to allergies. In more severe cases, patients with a history of sinus infections who have not responded to treatments may be candidates for surgery.

If what you’re dealing with are chronic migraines, you may benefit from chiropractic care that gets to the root of your issue: misalignments or spinal motion issues that are triggering your chronic headaches.

Many remedies treat the symptoms to get you through the day, but if you’re suffering from chronic headaches, it’s important to identify what’s causing you that pain. 

Call your doctor if… 

If you’re suffering from any type of headache that is affecting your quality of life, seek out additional medical advice from your primary care physician. They may recommend an allergist for allergy testing if what you’re experiencing is an allergy headache.

Keep in mind that if your pain doesn’t go away, your headaches may not be related to allergies. Over-the-counter decongestants won’t solve the problem if there are underlying causes for persistent headaches.

At Denver Upper Cervical Chiropractic, we use gentle upper cervical spinal adjustments to relieve different types of headaches. Our method of care can not only treat your chronic headaches, it can prevent those headaches from returning.

You don’t need to live with chronic pain. Set up an appointment with us today by clicking “request appointment” at the top of this page.

7 non-obvious allergy symptoms that can appear all year round

May 27, 2022

Health

Cough and headache do not always indicate a cold. Sometimes these are signs of an allergy. Together with Yandex Market, we tell you what other symptoms may indicate a disease.

1. Dry obsessive cough

If it does not go away for more than three weeks, it may be an allergy. Especially in cases where there are no other typical manifestations of a cold: fever or a sharp sore throat. As a rule, allergic symptoms are aggravated by contact with the pathogen. For example, dust has accumulated in the house or a person has inhaled cleaning products.

Cough often goes hand in hand with hay fever, a seasonal pollen allergy. The disease is caused by different types of trees and herbs. Suppose some cough only in the spring, when birch blossoms. And for others, allergies appear in the second half of summer – for example, to thistles or wormwood.

Irritation of the bronchi is sometimes provoked by pet dander and mold. And this unpleasant symptom can also occur if cockroaches appear in the house – their saliva and tiny body particles mix with dust and cause allergies.

Consult a specialist if you suspect an allergy. He will conduct the necessary research and make recommendations. If you are prescribed medicines, you can order them on the Yandex Market website or in an application available on the App Store and Google Play.

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Price: Free

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Price: Free

The service will compare prices in different pharmacies, and if you need several drugs, it will mark the nearest points on the map where you can immediately pick up the full list and not wait for delivery. 12,000 partner pharmacies are connected to the Market, so finding what you need is not difficult. OTC medicines in major cities will be delivered by courier in just 1-2 hours. Prescription drugs can be easily booked for pickup from a pharmacy – you can receive an order within 15-30 minutes after placing it.

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2. Dry Skin

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Skin allergies don’t always show up as a red, itchy rash. Sometimes, after contact with the pathogen, a person feels only dryness and tightness. For example, jewelry metals, cosmetics, detergents and medicines can cause such a reaction. It is especially difficult to connect dryness and allergies in winter, when due to heating and cold air outside, many skin conditions worsen.

The allergen can only manifest itself when exposed to sunlight – this condition is called photoallergic dermatitis. As a rule, quite harmless things become its cause: shaving lotion, perfume and even sunscreen. And a similar allergy can begin after a tattoo session. Symptoms are caused by some of the pigments in the color ink.

3. Headache

Allergies sometimes cause pain caused by inflammation in the paranasal sinuses. In a healthy person, they are hollow, but on contact with an irritant, edema occurs, which blocks the holes and causes pressure inside the sinuses. Sometimes the pain affects the cheeks, jaw, top of the head. Her character can vary from dull to intense. For example, after waking up, an allergic person will feel worse, and when he gets up, the symptoms will decrease. This reaction is caused by pollen, mold and pet dander. In this case, other manifestations of the disease in humans may not be.

Some people with allergies experience migraine attacks, a throbbing pain that usually covers half of the head. Feeling worse in bright light, and sometimes nausea is added to the unpleasant symptoms. Allergic migraines are insidious because they are difficult to associate with the pathogen. An attack can even flare up with a reaction to food, such as peanuts, eggs, or milk.

4. Nausea and vomiting

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When the immune system encounters a substance it considers dangerous, it releases histamine. This neurotransmitter triggers processes that push allergens out of the body. A typical situation: a person inhales an irritant through the nose, he gets a runny nose and sneezing. And with food allergies, there is nausea and vomiting, which are sometimes attributed to poisoning. In addition, a person may feel tingling and itching in the mouth, dizziness, and abdominal cramps. Often the disease is accompanied by diarrhea.

Allergy occurs to almost any food, but there are foods that cause reactions more often. These include milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish.

5. Fatigue and insomnia

Among the many different allergens, quite common pathogens are pet dander or dust mites that live in pillows and bedspreads. If it is they who provoke the disease, then at night a person may not sleep well. At the same time, it can be difficult for an allergy sufferer to associate insomnia with its true cause, especially if other symptoms are mild. He simply feels tired and irritable, as if he had not had enough sleep. In addition, during the day you may feel “fog in the head”‎. This condition causes inflammation, which occurs when the body fights off the symptoms of an allergy.

6. Shortness of breath

This symptom is often experienced by people who cannot tolerate pollen. Swelling of the throat and airways makes it difficult for the lungs to hold enough air. In other cases, inflammatory processes occur in the larynx. For example, prolonged contact with an irritant can result in chronic laryngitis – a person will often have a sore throat and a hoarse voice. Mold allergy in rare cases even causes pneumonia due to the fact that fungal spores enter the lungs.

7. Anxiety

Increased anxiety is also associated with allergies. Anxiety can increase when a person is confronted with an irritant. For example, smelling flowers or tasting certain foods. The reason lies in cytokines – anti-inflammatory molecules that are released during allergies and affect the mental state.

In addition, anxiety is provoked by other symptoms of the disease, such as lack of sleep. Such manifestations are easy to ignore and not see the connection with the root cause – adults often attribute increased anxiety to stress, not allergies.

Allergies do not always start in early childhood. It can also be faced by an adult who did not notice any special problems before. Yandex Market and the Pollen Club project have compiled a calendar for an allergic person. It helps to find out which plants cause allergies in different months and which symptoms of the disease may occur. Well-being is assessed on a scale from 1 to 10 points – the higher, the worse a person may feel. The presented calendar is tied to the spring-summer season – the period when flowering is most active. But you can feel the deterioration even in winter, because some pathogens bloom when there is still snow on the street. The pollen of such plants is not visible to the human eye. If unusual symptoms appear, you should consult a specialist. If he prescribes treatment, you can find the necessary medicines and place an order on Yandex Market.

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Can allergies cause migraines?

Allergic migraine is a type of headache that can be caused by an allergic reaction. This disorder can start with mild symptoms of allergic rhinitis and then quickly progress to severe headaches.

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• Allergy and migraine similarity
• Differences between allergies and migraine
• Can allergies cause migraine
• What causes a migraine
• Migraine and food allergy
• Treatment of migraine in people with allergies
• Prevention of migraine in people with allergies
• Terminals

However, remember that not all headaches are due to migraines, and allergies do not always lead to migraines. Knowing the difference between allergies and migraines can help you choose the right treatment.

Similarities between allergies and migraines

There are some similarities between allergies and migraine headaches, which include the following:

• Both allergies and allergy-related migraines can occur in response to some triggers.
• Symptoms of exogenous (i.e. caused by the action of external factors) allergies can trigger migraine.
• Both disorders may cause nausea, although nausea is much less common with allergies.

Differences between allergies and migraine

Since the face has a large number of nerves, patients sometimes confuse migraine headache with headache in the paranasal sinuses. Although people usually blame it on the allergy, in most cases the allergy alone does not cause a headache unless it is too severe.

In severe cases, when allergies cause sinus pain, this headache causes symptoms that are not present in ordinary migraine pain, for example:

• nasal congestion;
• a feeling of pressure, which increases when a person presses on the skin;
• other allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes or runny nose.

On the other hand, there are some symptoms of migraine that are usually not present with allergies, namely:

• increased sensitivity to light or sounds;
• an aura that causes unusual sensations, such as flickering lights or sounds, even before the onset of headache;
• mood swings.

Can Allergies Cause Migraines

Migraine headaches are often triggered by environmental, food or sound factors. Migraine headaches are not an allergic reaction. Most likely, the allergen can provoke neurological changes leading to migraines.

There is also evidence of a higher risk of migraine among people with allergies.

One 2012 study compared 46 people with allergies and 60 people without allergies. According to its results, it was found that 37% of people with allergies also suffered from migraines.

What causes migraines

Doctors don’t fully understand what causes migraines. These headaches are a type of neurological headache, which means that they occur when something changes in the brain. While people with migraines often get headaches in response to triggers such as stress or allergens, many people don’t get headaches from these triggers. This suggests that some other factors contribute to the development of migraine to a greater extent. These factors include:

• Hormonal differences and changes in hormonal balance . Migraine headaches are more common in women than men, and many women experience migraines associated with their menstrual cycle.
• Heredity . Researchers have not found a single gene or group of genes that could cause migraine, but at the same time, this disease often affects members of the same family.
• Allergy . People with allergies suffer from migraines much more often.

The following are the most common migraine triggers:

• stress;
• feeling of hunger;
• hormonal changes;
• weather change;
• fatigue;
• neck pain;
• certain smells, such as perfume;
• alcohol;
• too long sleep;
• physical activity;
• certain foodstuffs;
• sex.

Migraine and Food Allergies

American scientists at the National Headache Institute report that while virtually any food can cause migraine pain, the specific food that triggers migraines is often difficult to identify because it does not always cause headaches. For example, eating chocolate can cause a migraine one day, but the next day after eating chocolate, there may be no such pain.

In fact, in most cases of migraine associated with food allergies, the trigger causes migraine only from time to time without a definite pattern.

Treatment of migraine in people with allergies

Treatment of migraine is the same for people with and without allergies. However, people who suffer from migraines caused by allergies should also see a doctor for allergy treatment, as such treatment may eliminate the migraine trigger. Some treatment options for migraine headaches include the following:

Migraine medicines

This is a special medicine (eg triptans) to be taken at the first sign of a migraine to reduce its severity and intensity. Over-the-counter medicine for pain and migraine can also help in this case. The doctor may also prescribe anti-nausea drugs, steroids, or other medicines for acute migraines.

Medicines to prevent migraine

Several different types of medicines, such as beta-blockers, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants, can prevent migraine attacks.

Lifestyle changes

Some migraine sufferers find relief from diet changes, increased exercise, or elimination of known migraine triggers as much as possible.

Psychotherapy

When migraine is triggered by stress, psychotherapy can help the person cope with the stress and thereby reduce headaches.

Alternative remedies

Some people find relief from alternative and complementary therapies such as yoga, acupuncture, or herbs such as flint (butterbur).

Prevention of migraine in people with allergies

According to one 2012 review, people with allergies who receive immunotherapy treatment for allergies are less likely to experience migraines.