Ever wondered about the difference between a migraine and a sinus headache? Active! lays your dilemma to rest
Ever wondered about the difference between a migraine and a sinus headache? Active! lays your dilemma to rest
You have a headache; a painful one at that. You think that it's allergy-related and take your sinus decongestant, the diligent person that you are. But the headache remains and you are left wondering why? Well, that's where we come in. It is not entirely uncommon for people to confuse migraine headaches with sinusitis headaches.
Migraine headaches are usually accompanied by pain in the forehead
and/or the face (behind the eyes, cheekbones, or even the upper teeth)
while sinus headaches are accompanied by nasal congestion and a
runny nose.
According to ENT specialist and surgeon Dr Vimal Kasbekar, approximately 20% of her patients are confused about the same.
Sinus headaches are a very common diagnosis in India. Not so surprisingly, they rear their ugly head more in urban areas like Mumbai where high density of pollutants act as allergy inducers.
It would be typical for a person suffering from sinusitis (acute, not chronic) to get initial relief from natural treatments, like oral-hydration, which involves drinking plenty of fluids to thin the mucus secretions in the nasal passages, steam inhalations and nasal sprays.
With migraines, it is more important to understand one's triggers and avoid them, rather than medicate them for relief once they have already occurred. Triggers could include anything from a head-bath to a specific odour or a flash of light. As Dr Kasbekar maintains, "Both need not continue to affect your life negatively as long as they are correctly diagnosed and thus addressed."
5 questions to ask to find out whether if have a migraine
1 Is your headache accompanied by nausea or diarrhea?
2 Are you increasingly sensitive to bright lights?
3 Are you increasingly sensitive to loud sounds?
4 Do you suffer from moderate to intense pain, usually occurring in only one side of the head
5 Do the severity of your headaches disrupt your daily life?
If you answered yes to at least 3 of the above questions, then it is likely you might be suffering from migraines.
ADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
