Does your forehead hurt? Are you suffering from congestion and a runny nose?
Although you may think you have a sinus headache, it may be a migraine or not. Sinus headaches and migraines are often confused, but these conditions differ entirely.
Keep reading to learn more about the difference between a sinus headache and a migraine.
What is a Sinus Headache?
A sinus headache is a common symptom of a sinus infection or sinusitis. Your sinuses are the hollow, air-filled cavities in your forehead, eyes, nasal bones, and cheeks.
When there’s inflammation in the sinuses due to a viral infection, bacterial infection, or an allergic reaction, your sinuses will become swollen and produce more mucus, preventing them from draining normally. The accumulation of mucus and the inability to drain your sinuses may increase pressure within the sinus cavities, causing pain.
Pressure and pain cause sinus headaches. With a sinus headache, you may experience a persistent dull ache around the forehead, bridge of the nose, cheekbones, and eyes.
The pain can worsen when you bend over or move your head. Other symptoms of a sinus headache include:
- Cough
- Bad breath
- Watery eyes
- Upper tooth or ear pain
- Decreased sense of taste or smell
- Fever caused by a bacterial infection
- Thick greenish or yellowish nasal discharge
What are Migraines?
Migraines are headaches that cause an intense throbbing pain, often on one side of the head, but can move to the opposite side. You might also have pain around the eyes or temples.
A migraine attack may last for hours to days, and the pain can be so severe that it interferes with day-to-day activities. In addition to throbbing or pulsing pain, other symptoms of this chronic neurological condition are:
- Runny nose
- Watery eyes
- Nausea or vomiting
- Upper tooth or ear pain
- Moderate to severe head pain
- Nasal congestion or stuffy nose
- Sensitivity to sound, light, touch, and smell
- Aura, which are visual disturbances such as eye pain, spots in the vision, and flashing lights.
Sinus Headache vs. Migraines: Shared Symptoms
Migraines and sinus headaches share the following symptoms, including:
- Stuffy nose
- Watery eyes
- Pain that worsens when you bend forward
- Pressure or pain on the face and forehead
How to Know the Difference Between a Sinus Headache and a Migraine
The differences between migraines and a sinus headache include:
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms of a sinus headache that are different from migraines include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Bad breath
- Thick, colored mucus
- A reduced sense of taste or smell
You may have the following symptoms if you have migraines but not a sinus headache:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Thin, clear nasal discharge
- Sensitivity to sound, light, smell, and touch
Causes
Migraines and sinus headaches have different causes. A viral, bacterial, or fungal infection could be responsible for your sinus headache.
Allergies and nasal polyps are common triggers for sinusitis and a sinus headache. The actual cause of migraines is still unknown.
However, studies reveal that changes in your brain and genetics play a role. Some researchers think chemical changes in the brain trigger a migraine attack.
Overactive nerve cells transmit signals that change the levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide and serotonin. Serotonin makes blood vessels in the brain shrink, while calcitonin gene-related peptide causes them to swell.
An imbalance in these chemical compounds may lead to inflammation and pain.
Potential Triggers
Sinusitis causes a sinus headache, so they have similar triggers, including respiratory infections like the flu, the common cold, or seasonal allergies. Sinus headaches can also be triggered by structural differences such as a deviated septum, nasal polyps, or enlarged adenoids that may prevent your sinuses from draining as they should.
Migraine triggers vary from patient to patient. Some common triggers include:
- Stress
- Smoking
- Exercise
- Dehydration
- Loud sounds
- Lack of sleep
- Physical strain
- Extreme fatigue
- Weather changes
- Hormonal changes
- Bright, flickering lights
- Sleep pattern changes
- Fasting or skipping meals
- Drinks with caffeine or alcohol
- Strong smells such as paint thinner or perfume
- Medications such as vasodilators and oral contraceptives
- Food additives like monosodium glutamate (MSG) or artificial sweeteners
Duration
Typically, a sinus headache lasts as long as the sinus infection lasts. It lingers for 7 to 10 days or sometimes longer. Migraine episodes can last from 4 hours to 3 days.
Aura
If you experience an aura, you have a migraine rather than a sinus headache. Aura is a collection of symptoms considered as warning signs of a migraine attack.
These symptoms can affect your neurological function, senses, or vision.
Visual symptoms often begin in the center of the field of vision before moving across gradually. They include:
- Blind spots
- Tunnel vision
- Temporary blindness
- Blurred or foggy vision
- Jagged or zigzag lines
- Flickering or flashing lights
- Colored or white lines or geometric shapes
- Visual distortion, like looking through water or heat waves
Sensory symptoms like numbness or pins and needles in parts of the body, muscle weakness, and feeling off balance or dizzy are less common. The rarest aura symptoms are aphasia or speech disturbances such as mumbling, slurred speech, and an inability to find the right words.
Aura can be very distressing, particularly during the first few times it occurs. However, the symptoms don’t cause long-term damage and can be resolved independently.
Aura symptoms can be mild or severe. They usually start gradually and progress for 5 minutes to an hour.
Family and Medical History
You’re likely to experience migraines if you have anxiety, depression, epilepsy, or a sleep disorder. Additionally, migraines tend to run in families.
Your chances of experiencing migraines are higher if someone in your family has them.
Get Long-Term Sinus Relief
Everyone experiences headaches from time to time. But if your headaches have become chronic or severe, it’s time to see the team of experts at Indianapolis Sinus Center to rule out migraines.
After an accurate diagnosis, we’ll provide an effective treatment plan to relieve sinus headaches. Are you experiencing persistent headaches?
Schedule your appointment today at Indianapolis Sinus Center in Greenwood, IN, to find the relief you deserve and need.