The Link Between Allergies and Migraine

Several different systems in your body, including your nervous system, endocrine (hormonal) system, and immune system, are involved in migraine headache. 

Oversensitive nervous system

People who get migraines may have a more sensitive nervous system than other people. This means your nerve cells are easily stimulated, which increases electrical activity in your brain. Once it starts, this electrical activity can spread across your brain and temporarily interfere with your vision, sensation, balance, muscle coordination, and speech. The aura that you may get with a migraine headache is because of this spread of electrical activity in your brain.

Activation of the trigeminal nerve

You get a migraine headache when the trigeminal nerve is stimulated in your head. This nerve can also send out signals that promote inflammation in the blood vessels of your brain and meninges (the tissue that covers your brain).

Inflammation

As with a stimulated trigeminal nerve, exposure to allergens (things you’re allergic to) may trigger your immune system to release certain chemicals that fuel inflammation throughout your body, including your brain and meninges. This can trigger a migraine headache, as well as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.

Allergy Migraine Symptoms

If allergies trigger your migraine, you may get more migraines in the spring, fall, and summer, when outdoor allergens are at their highest.

Symptoms include:

• Prodrome symptoms that start before your headache can include mood changes, neck pain, food cravings, loss of appetite, and nausea.
• Moderate-to-severe pulsing or throbbing pain, usually on just one side of your head. It can sometimes happen on both sides of your head, however. Bright light, strong odors, loud noises, and physical activity may make your headache worse.
• Nausea and vomiting during your headache.
• Trouble concentrating during a migraine attack.
• Aura symptoms may happen before or during your headache, and can include visual disturbances, such as jagged, shimmering, or flashing lights, or a blind spot with flickering edges. You also may have tingling sensations, loss of balance, weakness in your arms or legs, or trouble talking.

Allergy Migraine Treatment

If your allergies trigger your migraine headaches, preventing and managing allergic attacks may help you have fewer attacks.

To protect yourself from allergy attacks, it can be helpful to know if you have indoor allergies, outdoor allergies, or both. If you have outdoor or seasonal allergies, you'll usually have symptoms at the same time every year. Outdoor or seasonal allergens are usually grass, tree, and weed pollens or fungus spores. If you have indoor allergies, you may have symptoms all the time or periodically throughout the year. Your symptoms may get worse in the winter and summer when you spend more time shut up indoors. Indoor allergens include dust mites, mold, and pet dander. An allergist can help you determine what's triggering your allergies.

In general, a good way to help manage your allergies is to log when you have allergy symptoms and migraine attacks. See if you notice any patterns and make lifestyle changes as necessary to help prevent allergy attacks. 

Can Allergies Cause Sinus Headaches?

Yes, allergies can cause a sinus headache. An allergic reaction can cause swelling in the linings of your sinuses that make mucus. When your sinuses make more and more mucus that becomes congested,  you may wind up with a sinus headache.

Allergy Sinus Headache Symptoms

Sinus headaches and migraines can be easily confused because the symptoms may overlap. Symptoms of a sinus headache include:

• Pain, pressure, or a feeling of fullness in your cheekbones, brow, or forehead
• Head pain that may get worse if you bend forward or lie down
• Pain in your upper teeth
• Stuffy, congested nose
• Fatigue
• Thick, discolored mucus when you blow your nose and a decreased sense of smell
• Headache that lasts days or longer

Allergy Headaches Treatment

If you have a bacterial infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, which will help clear up the infection. If you have a viral infection, it'll usually clear up without treatment. Your doctor may recommend you try other medicines to ease your symptoms, such as:

• Antihistamines to help control your allergy symptoms
• Decongestants to reduce swelling
• Pain relievers such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help relieve headache pain
• Steroids, such as prednisone and cortisone, to help reduce inflammation

How to Prevent Allergy Headaches

Manage outside allergens

To help prevent outdoor allergies, try some of these strategies:

• Wear a mask when you're doing yard work or ask another family member or friend to take care of your yard chores. Mowing, raking, and gardening can stir up pollen and mold.
• Keep the windows in your house and car closed.
• Limit the amount of time you spend outside on windy days. Midmorning and early evening are also good times to avoid spending time outdoors. That’s when pollen counts are highest.
• Check the pollen count each morning and make a plan for how to limit your exposure.

Control indoor allergens

To help prevent indoor allergies, try the following:

• Wear a mask when you're cleaning inside.
• Wash your bed clothes and deep clean your rugs and furniture regularly. Wash your bedding each week in hot water, then dry on high heat. You can using special covers on your box springs, mattress, and pillows to keep out dust mites. Keep as few carpets and rugs in your home as you can. Wood floors, tile, and linoleum collect far less dander, the flakes of dead skin that cause most pet allergies. Vacuum any carpet you do have often.
• Use an air purifier.
• Change the air filters for your heating and cooling systems at least every 3 months.
• Use a dehumidifier to prevent mold.
• Keep pets out of your bedroom if you're allergic to pet dander. Wash your hands after you touch your pets.

Try allergy relief home remedies

No matter what kind of allergies you have, you can also help yourself feel better, including:

• Drink plenty of fluids to keep your mucus thin. Water should be your first choice. Sip a cup of green tea each morning. It contains natural antihistamines, so it may give you some relief.
• Apply a warm, moist washcloth to your face several times a day. This can help reduce the swelling in your sinuses and drain the mucus. Inhaling steam two to four times a day can do the same. For instance, you can sit in your bathroom with a hot shower running.
• Rinse out your nasal passages. Some people find relief by using a saline spray in their nose a few times a day, but a sinus rinse or neti pot may help more. They can remove allergens from your nose while cleaning your nasal lining. Try this once a day, or twice if your allergy symptoms are severe.
• Try a bioelectronic sinus device for relief of inflammation, pain, and congestion. It uses microcurrents to stimulate nerve fibers in your sinuses. 

When to Contact Your Doctor

If you have a headache that lasts more than a week, even with home management strategies, it's time to go see your doctor.

Also, go see your doctor if you have any new symptoms, worsening symptoms, or you experience side effects from any medicines you're taking.

Call 911 and get to the emergency room right away if you:

• Have the worst headache you've ever had
• Have new neurological symptoms, such as trouble speaking, trouble balancing, vision issues, confusion, seizures, or numbing and tingling sensations
• Have a headache after a head injury

Takeaways

An allergic reaction can trigger a couple of different types of headache, including migraine attacks and a sinus headache. Migraines may be triggered by environmental allergies and food sensitivities or intolerances. Allergies can also cause sinus congestion that may result in a headache. If you do have allergies and headaches, you can help yourself have fewer, less severe headaches by preventing and managing your allergies. 

Allergies and Headaches FAQs

Can allergies cause headaches and dizziness?

Yes, allergies can cause sinus pain and pressure, which triggers a headache. And allergies can cause fluid buildup in your ears that may make you feel dizzy and have trouble balancing.

How to tell if a headache is from allergies?

One good way to tell if your headaches are caused by allergies is to keep a headache diary. Keeping track of your headaches can help you figure out what's triggering them, your warning signs, what makes you feel better, and if there are patterns to your headaches. Some things to write down include:

• The date.
• The day of the week.
• How long your headache lasted.
• How bad your headache was. Write down if it was mild, moderate, or severe, or on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is the worst pain you can imagine.
• Any other symptoms you have in addition to your headache, such as dizziness, vertigo, numbness or tingling sensations, and sensitivity to light, sound, and smells.
• Any medicines you take, side effects from your medicines, how long it took to take effect, and if you needed a second dose.
• Any potential triggers you noticed.

Can food allergies cause headaches?

Yes, one common trigger for a migraine is food intolerances. The most common foods that trigger migraines, include:

• Dairy.
• Corn.
• Wheat.
• Sugar.
• Eggs.
• Citrus.
• Cereal grains.
• Processed foods that contain food coloring, preservatives, artificial flavorings, and other additives. The additives aspartame and monosodium glutamate (MSG) are common triggers for migraines and cluster headaches, for instance.