Migraines Vs Sinus Headaches

Migraine headaches can be confused with sinus headaches. Depending on what type of specialist makes a diagnosis, a migraine sufferer can be forced to endure pain without proper treatment for years. Migraines cause debilitating pain, interrupt a person's life balance, and can cause migraine-related stroke and death. Knowing the types and symptoms that generally are associated with migraines helps migraine suffers find doctors who can provide beneficial treatment and prevention options.

Significance

Because some sinus symptoms can cause severe headaches, it is possible to misinterpret the type of pain one is experiencing. Unfortunately, in most cases, treatment for sinus pressure is not effective for migraines. There are exceptions, and it is extremely difficult to make universal statements about migraine diagnosis and treatment. Migraines can cause severe disability. Migraineurs (migraine sufferers) miss work, and their lives come to a sudden halt when a migraine event occurs. According to WebMD, "About 12 percent of the American population suffers from chronic migraines, with women being affected three times as often as men." (See Additional Resources) Untreated migraines not only cause unbearable pain, but also can lead to stroke, coma and death.

Types

Sufferers of extreme headache pain are wise to educate themselves about the general types and symptoms of migraines. Migraine headaches are categorized by three general types, each with distinctive prodromal symptoms. Classical migraine symptoms include visual, auditory or other physical disturbances. Complicated migraines have symptoms that originate in the affected regions of the brain. Atypical migraines are difficult to diagnose, since symptoms do not fit typical migraine patterns.

Symptoms

When a person has a sinus infection, her head will hurt. Other symptoms accompany the pressure from infected sinuses. These symptoms do not generally lead to a migraine event, but there are no absolutes. Symptoms of sinus problems, other than a headache, include but are not limited to fever and swollen lymph nodes.
Migraine symptoms are usually severe and can be preceded by certain neurological events. Without proper medication, when a migraine hits, migraineuers experience slurred speech and will experience debilitating sensitivity to light and sound. Vomiting is common. The pain increases and can last up to 72 hours. In the days leading up to a migraine, there may be irritability, elation, and cravings for sweets and thirst. Memory becomes impeded during and after an event.

Expert Insight

Headache specialist Eric Eross, DO, associate consultant in neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, studied 100 patients who had been to at least four doctors for relief from headaches. Only 19 percent of patients saw a neurologist, and 83 percent of them were diagnosed with migraines. Other specialists diagnosed migraines in less than 10 percent of the patients. Additionally, WebMD contributor Daniel J. DeNoon cautions that "There are many types of primary headaches officially recognized by the International Headache Society. Sinus headache (without an infection) is not one of them."

Considerations

Migraine is a serious health issue for which there are no easy fixes. If a person is diagnosed with sinus headaches, but is not satisfied with that diagnosis, consider a second opinion. Find a neurologist who understands migraine headaches. As evidenced by the confusion between sinus and migraine headache symptoms, it still is all too common that people, including physicians, improperly diagnose and treat migraines. Be aware that migraines still are not fully understood by the medical community, even specialists. It is the migraineur's responsibility to educate and find the most effective diagnosis and treatment available. Look for physicians that are open to integrating alternative treatments into more convention approaches.

Resources

• 9 in 10 Sinus Headaches Really Migraines
• Headache: Migraine or Sinuses?
• Think you might have a symptom of migraines?