Many people with migraines go for years without being properly diagnosed because they continue their erroneous assumption that what they are experiencing is merely a common sinus headache. One study found that a whopping 97% of people who described their headaches as sinus headaches were actually experiencing symptoms associated with migraines. The problem is that the symptoms of migraine headaches and sinus headaches often overlap, leading to confusion that can be very serious if your migraine goes undiagnosed. One reason behind this confusion may lie in the fact that the same nerves that carry migraine pain also travel to the sinuses. Pain in the sinuses, face or around the eyes can be felt during a migraine on one or both sides of the head. In addition, the nerves that cause stuffy or runny nose and watery eyes can be also be activated during a migraine.

Sinus headaches

Sinus headaches usually result from a sinus infection or allergies, or else follow hard upon the heels of a cold or the flu. The cause of sinus headaches are an inflammation of the sinus passages, which are the air cavities located behind and above your nose. The increased pressure that results from the closing of infection of the sinuses is what causes the headache. The pain is involved with a sinus headache can be quite severe and last for an extended period of time. They tend to begin in the morning after waking.

The usual treatment for sinus headaches is antibiotics but physicians are beginning to question the validity of this approach because of the building up of resistance to the drug when it taken repeatedly. Common sinus headache symptoms include pain and pressure around the eyes, an ache in the upper teeth, fever or chills and swelling about the face.

Heat and ice can be used to relieve the facial pain of sinus headaches with many doctors recommending hot compresses, hot drinks such as tea or broth, and even a steamy shower. A cool-mist humidifier can also be of tremendous help in keeping your sinuses moist.

Migraine headaches

So how do migraines differ from sinus headaches, then, and how do you determine which one you’ve got. To begin with, there isn’t just one migraine headache, but two. Migraines with aura and migraines without aura. Common migraine symptoms include pain that is prefaced by visual disturbances, a throbbing on just one side of the head that ranges from mild to extreme, nausea, vomiting, an increased sensitivity to both light and noise.

Migraines require a trigger to get your head to hurting. These triggers are wide in scope and can very significantly from person to person. Most migraines seem to be triggered by food. The most common food triggers seem to be wine, chocolate, aged cheese, processed meats, Chinese food and caffeine. Other triggers include flashing lights, loud noises, menstruation, intense exercise, weather changes, exposure to smoke or perfumes, lack of sleep, stress, or sex In addition, some medications such as birth control pills and estrogen replacement therapy have been proven migraine triggers.

So what’s the big deal with misdiagnosing a migraine headache as a sinus headache? Well, for one thing all that money you’re shelling out on medicine specifically marketed it not actually designed to treat sinus headaches will do you no good whatever if you are suffering migraines. In addition, if you are under the delusion that you are experiencing sinus headaches you may be unduly extending the life of your migraines by continuing to eat food triggers, or continuing to experience environmental triggers that you could and should otherwise avoid.

Basically, treating a migraine headache as it were a sinus headache is really no different from treating a toothache as it were a sinus headache. The problems are completely different, regardless of how similar they may seem and how much they may have in common physiologically. A sinus headache is a headache; a migraine is a disease that has as one its symptoms excruciating head pain. Do yourself a favor. If you are absolutely convinced you are suffering sinus headaches, go see a doctor who knows the difference.

Myth #1:

Migraines are easily recognized and diagnosed by doctors.

Reality:

Migraines are among the least properly diagnosed and most mistreated of all illnesses.

Up to 70% of migraines sufferers have never been properly diagnosed with having the illness. Migraines remain seriously underestimated and misunderstood, even among doctors treating the problem.

Myth #2:

Migraines are annoying and uncomfortable, but there’s nothing life-threatening about them.

Reality:

Migraines can induce several life-threatening conditions such as stroke, aneurysms and coma.

27% of all strokes experienced by those under the age of 45 are preceded by a severe migraine headache. 25% of all cerebral infarctions are associated with migraines. In addition, studies have also found links between migraines and epileptic seizures.

Myth #3:

Migraines are nothing more than really bad headaches.

Reality:

The headache is really just a symptom of a disease and the cause of the migraine pain is the opposite of the cause of the headache pain. Migraines are a disease that are genetically based. Those with a single parent who experience migraines themselves have a 50% chance of developing migraines.

Myth #4:

Migraines are psychological in nature, caused by external environmental factors.

Reality:

A migraine is a neurological disease, not a disorder.

Migraines truly are neurological diseases, caused by physiological and not psychological triggers. Migraines happen when cranial blood vessels dilate, causing nerve endings to release serotonin, a crucial factor in the development of the headache.

Myth #5:

Only women suffer from headaches.

Reality:

Women, men, adults and children all suffer from migraines.

While it’s true that the overwhelming majority of migraine patients are adult women, a significant number of suffers are male and an increasing number of children are being treated not just for migraines but for a particular type called abdominal migraines.

Myth #6:

There’s no doubting about whether that headache you’re suffering is really a migraine or not. If you’ve got a migraine, you’ll know it.

Reality:

Millions of people suffer from migraines without having been correctly diagnosed or thinking that it’s just a regular tension headache.

Myth #7:

If you aren’t suffering from the most severe symptoms like nausea and auras, then it’s probably not a migraine.

Reality: Only 20% of migraine suffers experience the kind associated with auras. And many never experience the more extreme symptoms such as nausea or vomiting.

Myth #8:

My headaches are triggered by allergies or changes in the weather conditions; therefore they are probably sinus headaches.

Reality:

Allergic reactions and changes in the weather can trigger migraines, but they are never the cause. In addition, migraines are offer accompanied by symptoms such as a runny nose or watery eyes that can be mistaken for sinus-based headaches.

Myth #9:

Migraines are caused by stress and tension.

Reality:

Again stress and tension can be triggers for migraines, but unlike tension headaches, migraines are not actually caused by any rise in your tension or stress levels.

Myth #10:

Only hypersensitive, uptight, perfectionist, compulsive types get migraines.

Reality: Research has been concluded that there is no such thing as a particular personality type who develops migraines. Therefore, put to rest all misconceptions you may have about a so-called “migraine personality."

Myth #11:

You can make the pain go away and feel better if you take more medication.

Reality: Far from providing relief, exceeding the recommended dosage of migraine medication may do far more harm than good. In fact, taking more medicine than recommended could result in even more serious health problems.

Myth #12:

People who complain about migraine headaches are just lazy slackers trying to get out of work.

Reality: Migraines are one of the most disabling diseases around. It disrupts lifestyles, affects relationships and is the cause behind over 10,000 annual visits to a physician each year. Most people who take days off from work due to migraines would be more than willing to trade in the pain for the work.

Myth #: 13

People bring migraines on themselves. It’s psychosomatic, man.

Reality: Only to the extent that heart disease or diabetes is brought on by sufferers. Migraines have a physiological cause that takes place inside one’s head. That does not mean that it is all in your head!

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Migraine headaches are different then a standard stress or tension headache. You can describe headaches in groups or primary and secondary group types

Headaches are described as being either primary or secondary.

Primary headaches include migraine, cluster headache, chronic daily headache, tension-type headache, and medication overuse headache

Secondary headaches are can be a symptom of something else like a sinus infection or a side effect of an illness or stress.

Migraine being a primary headache would not surprise most people, especially anyone who has ever suffered from one.

A migraine is not just regular headache or is the symptoms always the same as a headache. Moderate to very severe head pain is the most common migraine symptom; there are usually other symptoms that help diagnose frequent hurtful headaches as a migraine. It is important for you to understand and recognize these symptoms in order to help your doctor diagnose your headache and provide you with proper treatment.

The effectiveness of migraine treatment depends on a variety of factor. Treating migraines with prescriptive medication can be very effective, but don’t count on it.

Many do find relief through the newer medications on the market, but there are plenty who suffer through the trial period without any gain in the end. You may have to try out several medications before you come across the one that finally ends your misery.

Treating migraine through homeopathy is becoming a very popular alternative to medicine-based treatments. Homeopathy is basically a method or theory of healing that attempts to stimulate the body into healing itself by using natural remedies. Part of a homeopathic treatment is preventing the headache from starting in the first place.

In homeopathic treatments it’s very important to determine what your migraine trigger is. How successful you are in avoiding your, how proactive your are in administering your treatment, the patient is in using treatments such as relaxation or drugs and how well the patient responds to treatment. All contemporary knowledge about migraines points to chemical reactions in the brain causing blood vessels to constrict and then expand creating a sudden blood flow as the process, which creates the headaches, associated with migraines. Therefore the key to avoiding migraines is limiting exposure to triggers.

An enormous list of triggers has been accumulated through research into migraines. Among the most common triggers to be aware of: Stress, aroma, menstruation, sleep pattern disturbances, climate change, and diet. A huge amount of scientific research has been processed about the various triggers of migraine headaches and in short, the researchers have come to believe that two primary culprits stand out in the crowd of triggers. Many researchers have decided that food and food additives are part of the main reasons behind triggering migraines. On the other hand, many researchers are adamant that the primary trigger for migraines is stress.

It’s very important know triggers your migraine so you can determine whether to avoid it or not. Finding trigger by journaling (writing down what you eat and what stresses happen around the time a migraine happens can help in preventing the triggers in the first place.

Modern medical techniques for migraine relief are leaning more toward preventive applications and preventive medications also.

Migraine prevention medicine is different from migraine pain relief medicine. For most people who suffer headaches, migraine prevention medicine is a whole new way to treat their migraines. Preventive (prophylactic) medications are prescribed for severe headaches that occur more than twice a month, and that significantly interfere with daily activities. Preventive medications are intended to reduce both the frequency and the severity of the headache and are usually taken daily.

Often doctor prescribed migraine treatments are separated into these categories; migraine prevention medicine and acute migraine pain relief medicine. Here’s how the two types of medicine differ. Severe migraine pain relief medicine is taken at the start of migraine headache pain. Migraine prevention medicine is taken daily to help reduce the frequency of migraines, so you can have fewer of them. It does not provide relief from the pain of a migraine in progress.

So whether or not a person suffering from an acute migraine wants homeopathic techniques or medical research and a doctor’s advice finding triggers and preventive measures are both suggested.

When it comes to migraines, a little massage never hurt. But then again, a little massage never hurt whether you suffer from migraines or not. Seriously though, massage therapy has proven quite helpful in relieving headache pain. In general, you don’t want to rely solely upon massage as the method for relief from your madness, but instead use it in conjunction with other therapies as well as medication and changes in your lifestyle.

How can massage help with migraines? Migraine sufferers generally suffer from stiff, tender muscles in the back of the head, neck, and shoulders. The pressure against these points in the muscle can be the cause of severe pain, pain that is akin to migraine pain. These pressure points are known as trigger points. By massaging the trigger points, one can effectively reduce the pain and tightness in the muscles, which decreases discomfort in some sufferers. Massage therapy is a terrific method for reducing tension in the muscles, not to mention for reducing stress. When beginning a massage program it is best to begin with one or two sessions a week for about a month and a half.

Several studies have been done to determine whether massage therapy really helps relieve migraine pain. The results of these studies have determined that massage therapy at the very least helps migraine sufferers sleep better and at best actually does manage to lessen headache pain. The following are the most helpful methods of massage therapy yet found to deal with migraine headaches.

Reflexology: General massage therapy based upon the pressure and massage of points not on the head, but rather the soles of the feet. Reflexology isn’t so much a therapy as an art; a massage art used to relieve stress and pain throughout the body. The conceptual plan is based on the idea of zones in the feet that correspond to all areas of the body. By manipulating these zones, therapists hope to benefit the corresponding areas throughout the rest of your body.

Craniosacral therapy: Simply lie back and enjoy the sensations of your massage therapist softly massaging your skull and scalp. This method soothes the nerves and lessens the waves of pain that those nerves send, which is the cause of the actual pain.

Deep-tissue massage therapy: A deep-tissue massage is intended to help with the improvement of circulation while reducing tension within the muscles by focusing on specific body areas thought to relieve pain and stress when manipulated. The deep tissue part of deep tissue massage is in reference to how the therapists uses deep finger pressure and deliberate stroking of the areas of the body that are suffering from muscle tension or aches.

Neuromuscular massage: This therapy, which is also known as trigger-point therapy, is a muscle relaxing treatment that applies moderate pressure to your body's trigger points (spots in a muscle that, when stimulated by pressure or touch, are painful). Some believe that it can reduce nerve compression and relieve pain in tense or overworked muscles.

Acupressure: Look again, that’s accuPRESSURE, not acuPUNCTURE! Acupressure techniques are employed by applying pressure from the tips of the finger to points on your head, not sticking needles into your skull. The theory is that acupressure helps headache sufferers by calming muscle tension and enhancing blood circulation. You can actually do acupressure on yourself simply by applying moderate and constant fingertip pressure with just two fingers for five minutes tops. The best method is to use one hand on top of your head and the other to apply pressure between your eyes.

When engaging in massage therapy, be aware that even the lightest, gentlest pressure from the most qualified therapist can cause at least mild discomfort, but should the pain become unbearable immediately instruct the therapist to quit massaging. To find a qualified therapist where you live, if your town features a school of massage therapy you can check with them and they will provide you with names and certification information.

While migraines are most common in adults, particularly women, children are also prone to developing them. Migraines are not caused by stress or tension, like tension headaches, but rather result from an intricate biochemical process involving the constriction and expanding of blood vessels in the brain. It is estimated that as much as 5% of children are affected by migraine. Boys and girls equally are affected by migraines when they are very young, but during puberty the shift begins toward females suffering more than males. This shift in teenage girls is due to changes in hormones.

Migraines may be diagnosed in children as young as 4 years of age, though the process of diagnosis of migraines in children is a process of trial and error. Migraines are diagnosed as the cause of headaches only after ruling out more serious causes. In addition, a comprehensive family medical history should be provided, and both a general physical and neurological examination can be expected before diagnosis can be determined as migraines.

Most children who suffer with migraines will have inherited the sickness. Should migraines run in your family, you would be wise to keep an eye on whether your child is experiences any kind of motion sickness. Motion sickness if often seen as an early indicator of the possibility of developing migraines later on. It’s very possible, in fact it’s quite probable, that there will be a family history of migraines. In addition, kids who develop migraines experienced colic, nightmares or disturbances in sleeping patterns. The throbbing pain experienced by a children’s migraine is often intense enough to interfere with school and other daily activities. You should also be aware that physical activity can exacerbate the situation so make sure your child’s school PE teacher is aware of your child’s condition.

As with adult migraines, auras may or may not accompany a child’s headache. Auras are visual experiences such a flashing points of lights, zigzagging lights, etc. Unlike migraines in adults, however, the duration of migraines usually don’t longer than three or four hours. Some extreme migraines may be accompanied by temporary neurological problems such as an inability to speak, a loss of sensation or even, in rare cases, a loss of consciousness.

Specific to children and migraines is the so-called "Alice in Wonderland" Syndrome. This syndrome involves hallucinations that distort images and shapes, or sometimes causes objects to appear larger or smaller. In fact, one theory has it that Lewis Carroll himself, the author of Alice in Wonderland, suffered from migraines and that the bizarre occurrences in his children’s classic is a rendering of his experiences.

Treatment for children’s migraines often includes the use of medications. Most children benefit from acetaminophen (Tylenol and other brands), or anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen. If these over the counter medications don't alleviate your child's pain within several hours, you may need to look into the possibility of prescription medication. Some drugs are used to prevent or lessen the frequency of migraines, while others are used for immediate pain relief. Children can be involved in treatment by keeping a headache diary which may help them to identify factors that "trigger" a headache. They can plan for rest (headaches may be relieved by sleep) and learn to manage stress. Studies have shown that the frequency of migraines may be lessened by the use of biofeedback, relaxation techniques and acupuncture.

In addition, you may want to look into the many non-drug therapies that are available such as stress biofeedback, meditation and stress management. These approaches needn’t take the place of medication, they can work in conjunction with medical treatment. Also, don’t underestimate the importance of good nutrition, sticking to a solid sleep routine and making sure the child gets enough exercise.

If you suspect that your child may be experiencing migraines, consider making an appointment with your pediatrician after first keeping a migraine journal in which you recorded the following information:

How many headaches your child had each week.

Where on the head was the pain located.

How painful was the headache?

How long the headache lasted.

Did any foods, drinks or activities seem to set them off?

Does your child's headaches affect his/her normal activity?