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Anyone get sinus headaches from allergies?

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Posted 10/12/2009 7:32 PM (GMT 0)

Sinus headaches are my *only* allergy symptoms -- I never get a stuffy nose, watery eyes, itchy skin, nothing.  (Actually I take that back -- whenever the Cottonwood trees start shedding their little cotton balls into the air, I get a sore throat and stuffy nose for about 2 weeks!  But the rest of the year it's just the sinus headaches.)  This started about 8 years ago and got to where I was having at least one horrible sinus headache a week, the kind where I couldn't even think straight (NOT a good thing for a college student in a difficult major!), I couldn't tell you which way was up when I closed my eyes, and the only thing that made it better was just sleeping it off.  Except that laying down makes the sinus headache worse so it was hard to even fall asleep...  Also, eating helps alleviate sinus pressure for me -- just drinking fluids doesn't help, and chewing gum helps a little, but actually eating and swallowing foods always makes me much better.  But as soon as I stop eating the headache comes back, and I can't exactly snack non-stop while I have a headache....

Multiple doctors have confirmed that I definitely have allergies.  They said that your sinuses look red with infection and purple with allergies, and mine are very purple!  I tried a few OTC products my doctors recommended and nothing worked -- Benadryl makes me so tired I'm practically dizzy, and Tylenol + Sudafed (which my dr said was the same as Tylenol Sinus) did nothing.

I took Zyrtec for a few years and it worked well, then I switched to Singulair and it also works well.  I usually only get 2-3 really bad headaches a year, plus a few milder ones.  Cottonwood season still makes me sick though ;)

I've never had allergy tests; I would like to but at the moment I'm already missing a lot of work for other doctor's appointments (see my post in the GERD forum, ugh...).  I do know that I must be allergic to something that's present all year, and I'm more likely to have a headache if I'm in a small room with poor circulation, so perhaps I have dust or mold allergies?  I once lived in a tiny dorm room where if I didn't keep a fan running all the time, I was guaranteed a headache after a few hours!

My question is, I don't mind taking prescriptions for now, but in a year or so my husband and I would like to try to get pregnant.  I know that some women take Singulair while pregnant for asthma, but if possible I'd like to avoid all unnecessary prescriptions while pregnant.  But if I have nasty sinus headaches for my whole pregnancy, I will NOT be a happy person....

Has anyone found other remedies that help allergy-induced sinus headaches?  (Plus I'd like to hear of other remedies I can try for those few headaches I still get with Singulair!)

Posted 10/12/2009 8:44 PM (GMT 0)
You might benefit from a nasal rinse. This is saline that you run thru one nostril out the other. It helps get rid of the allergens that accumulate in the nose as well as any PND you may get. You can also try just a saline nose spray to help. My best friend gets frequent sinus infections and pain and swears by the nasal rinse. It also helps with her sinus headaches.
Posted 10/12/2009 11:41 PM (GMT 0)

Even if I don't have a stuffy nose?  I just get pain in my cheekbones and forehead.

But thanks, I will try it out!

Posted 10/13/2009 1:02 AM (GMT 0)
Yes even if you don't have a stuffy nose or nasal drip. It can help clear out allergens that accumulate in the nose. It sounds like you are headaches sensitive to allergens so maybe if you get rid of the allergen, it might help the headache.
Posted 10/15/2009 10:07 AM (GMT 0)
Just a possibility - you may have allergy (as your doctors have said) but your headaches may be from your jaw and/or your neck, both being very common sources. You can check your jaw by pushing just in front of your ear, as you open and close your mouth, to see if it is tender.
Posted 10/15/2009 12:22 PM (GMT 0)
That could be true as well Holistic doc, but, at least for me, my sinus headaches are always centered smack dap in the middle of my forehead and behind my eyes. The headaches I get from my jaw tend to make my whole head hurt (I used to clench my teeth at night) as well as my jaw and the headaches I get from my neck makes my head feel like their is a ton of pressure in my head and that it wants to just explode. However, people can manifest their pains in different ways so thank you for bringing this up! :)
Posted 10/15/2009 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
No sweat, and thanks for replying with your experience.
Posted 10/16/2009 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
I have been getting sinus headaches a lot lately and they have been tough to get rid of. I don't seem to have a lot of symptoms either, just this pressure or slightly swollen feeling in my sinuses. I normally do get allergies/hayfever symptoms but not right now. It is driving me crazy. I take claritin and sudafed and on occasion have used the nasal sprays but they say no more than 3 days or it can cause rebound symptoms. I also take darvocet for joint pain but that doesn't help these headaches. I cheat and take ibuprofen even though I'm not supposed to because of crohn's disease. I've also tried a heating pad, ice, and steam. I'm wondering if it isn't ragweed for me. I wish I could tell you what works but I seem to suffer for many hours or days and then mysteriously it gets better. I don't know if finally I am getting the right combination of products or just get lucky.
Posted 10/17/2009 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
yeah   I hear you I can't get rid of my headaches,  for me I take acetaminophen extra strength gelcaps, six to eight a day!  and deal with ms symptoms as well.  also nasarel nasal spray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After the antibiotics are gone

Posted 10/26/2009 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
Have you tried Cayenne Pepper? My uncle swears by it. I tired it, but it upsets my stomach too much. You can get it in capsules in the vitamin aisle. They need to be taken with a meal. Which is the bad part. On the good side, they are not too expensive so if they don't work out, it won't cost you much. And you could take the capules apart and just use the pepper like you normally would.

I know those headaches. There are times when I have had them where I seriously thought about taking a drill to my head. Luckily, using nasal wash works for me, eventually. By clearing my nasal passages, it seems to give the build up a place to go. It takes time though, and when it is really bad it takes three or four rinses, with each rinse being about an hour apart.
Posted 10/27/2009 9:06 AM (GMT 0)
Could you give us some detail of what you use for washing your nose out, and the position you hold your head in, for the procedure. Thanks for your info.
Posted 10/27/2009 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
To rinse my nose out, I use a NeilMed Sinsus Rinse bottle. I put one table spoon of salt and one table spoon of baking soda in one quart of water, which I then put in the sinsus rinse bottle. You can squeeze the bottle and the water mixture will come out. But, you have to squeeze gently or you will get a blast of water which is not what you want. You "snort" enough water to either have it come out the other nostril or you feel it going down your throat. Spit out or gently blow out the excess. Repeat for the other nostril.

I do this two or three times at once, alternating nostrils, when I have strong blockages or a bad sinsus headache. And like I said before, sometimes it takes trying it about every hour to get rid of a really bad headache.

You really don't need the special bottle. Some people just snort the mixture from their cupped hand. I have seen where some Yogi's use what looks like a small teapot to do the same thing.

A lot of people may thing this is a gross thing to do, but when you are in enough pain, well....

As far as the position of my head, I never gave it much thought.  It is down a bit when I snort the water mixture and then level.  Then down again to spit or blow out my nose.

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