Site Meter Dealing With Headaches » Blog Archive » Sinus Headache Or Allergy Headache?

Sinus Headache Or Allergy Headache?

by Rena Sherwood

The enemyI’m going to apologize in advance for any sloppy appeareance or any disjointed reasoning in this blog post (well, more disjointed than usual, anyway). I was up to three m last night with a killer of a headache in the front of the right side of my face. I assumed it was a regular sinus headache, as my nose had been dripping all day. So I took over the counter Rite Aid sinus medication. Not a lot happened, except I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t get much sleep.

It felt like the day after you get punched in the eye. (And I have been punched in the eye before, so unfortunately my basis of comparison is accurrate).

Mom to the Rescue

Mom and I have to vote today (PA primaries — ugh) and so I have to leave the house eventually to do my civic duty. Mom had allergy medication — not sinus medication , one specifically for allergies — and urged me to take a pill. (I’d like to tell you the name of the stuff, but there is no name on the prescription label except PSE 120/MSC 2.5). I ran it through Drugs.com, but they said it’s probably a generic not in their directory.)

In less than an hour, about 90% of the pain was gone. This leads me to assume that my current head misery is caused by allergies and not sinuses.

But aren’t they the same thing? I mean, if you have allergies, doesn’t that mean you will automatically have sinus problems? And perhaps I shouldn’t be taking this stuff even though it works because I can’t identify it?

Yup

Basically, a sinus headache and an allergy headache are the same thing. However, if you can cure the pain with sinus medication, it’s a sinus headache and if you can cure it with your Mom’s allergy medication, then it’s an allergy headache.

Now, some doctors or nuerologists define an allergy headache as a reaction to a food you are allergic to. If you don’t have the post nasal drip, sore throat, stuffy nose or nausea, itchy eyes or sore eyes, than it’s probably a food allergy headache. You really need to see a doctor about that.

I’m not sure what I’m allergic to. I have all of the signs of a sinus infection, yet the sinus medication did zip on my pain.

I know I’m allergic to mowed lawns. When I lived in England, I lived mostly in the woods where the grass, nettles, snapdragons and other greenery grew to well over six feet tall. I never had any allergy problems. Now, I return to America with it’s constantly mowed lawns and my face feels like it’s been on the recieving end of a phone pole.

Oh, time to go vote. I have to go now so in the future people can blame me for the choice of Democratic presidential canidate for 2008. Can’t let all of you down.


4 Responses to “Sinus Headache Or Allergy Headache?”

  1. My Friendly Pets » Blog Archive » Doggy dude ranch…here they come!! Says:

    [...] Hey, do you have a spring headache? Is it allergies or sinus? Learn more by checking out a fellow bl… Did You Enjoy this Post? Subscribe to My Friendly Pets. It’s Free! « Back Home Posted in General on April 22nd, 2008 Link to this Entry Email This Entry [...]

  2. Dealing With Headaches » Blog Archive » Is There Such A Thing As A Herniated Disc Migraine? Says:

    [...] Breaky Heart” stuck in your head for a week? (Can you tell I’m still taking the mystery generic allergy medicine I taked about yesterday?) Well, as you can probably guess from this post’s title, the question [...]

  3. Dealing With Headaches » Blog Archive » Down Dog Yoga Pose To Relieve Headache Says:

    [...] might help with headches. I haven’t tried it myself and — as I’m suffering from bad allergies and thus have severe balance issues — but it’s as natural a headache relief solution as [...]

  4. Dealing With Headaches » Blog Archive » Migraines and Sleeping Says:

    [...] (or humid light of day, as in the case for the Philadelphia area where I live), I think it was a bad sinus headache as opposed to a migraine (which, for me, usually is on the right side of my head.) The upshot is [...]

Leave a Reply


About Dealing With Headaches

This site is about dealing with headaches. It discusses natural treatments, medicines, and support sites to resource.

Dealing With Headaches Author(s)
    » Rena-Sherwood

Science & Health Channel Posts

  • 7 Habits - Conclusion
    [Intro] [Habit One] [Habit Two] [Habit Three] [Habit 4] [Habit 5] [Habit 6] [Habit 7] [Conclusion] And here we are - at the end of our little journey that examined the 7 habits of highly [...]
  • MEDICARE BILL OVERRIDDEN - MILLIONS FOR TYPE 1 DIABETES RESEARCH SECURED
    Congress has been successful in overriding President Bush's veto of the Medicare legislation, including funding for diabetes research, that was passed by the House in June and by the Senate in July. [...]
  • The miracle weight loss that isn’t
    Risks of gastric-bypass surgery are often underplayed, some experts say Doing everything right after bariatric surgery is no guarantee of success. That fact may come as a surprise: With glowing [...]
  • Steroid abuse scars a young muscle man for life
    For one 21-year-old muscle man, the quest to build a perfect body ended in grotesque, lifelong scars. Doctors were shocked when the young man came into their Dusseldorf clinic with one of the [...]
  • Many Types of Depression
    One of the annoying things about having depression is that the word "depression" is used fopr many different things. If you say you have depression, the person listening might think you mean one [...]
  • Habit 4 - Think Win-Win!
    [Intro] [Habit One] [Habit Two] [Habit Three] [Habit 4] [Habit 5] [Habit 6] [Habit 7] [Conclusion] So we're at the halfway point for our 7 habits, and things are looking up. We can make it [...]
  • Say Hello to the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope
    Two months ago, NASA launched what was then known as the GLAST (Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope), and today, the space agency announced both the new name as well as the successful passing of [...]
  • Steady Progression
    Let’s talk about you and your workout routine. Does this sound like you? You’re chatting away with the person next to you on the bike, treadmill, etc. Occasionally you even burst into song. With [...]
  • Call for Migraines In Art
    Migraines, auras and epilepsy are often inspiration for visual artists, as in this YouTube slideshow clip pairing migraine-inspired art to REM's Losing My Religion. Granted, not all migraine art is [...]
  • Book Review: "Depression and How to Survive It"
    Spike Milligan was arguably the largest influence on comedy in Western civilization. The main writer of the wildly popular BBC radio show The Goon Show, his brand of surreal humor would go on to [...]

Hot Off The Press

  • Kristin Chenoweth sings about Meth!
    This is from FunnyorDie.Com and it has Kristin doing an "intervention" of a meth addict, through a song. She and the whole video manages to appear and sound like it's part of a Disney movie! [...]
  • A Closer Look: Sweet Sweet Spirit
    Sweet, Sweet Spirit Words and Music by Doris Akers There's a sweet, sweet spirit in this place, And I know that it's the Spirit of the Lord. There are sweet expressions on each [...]
  • Cooking with the Boys.
    Tonight it's Dan and Memphis' turn to cook. The main course? Meatloaf. Instructions verbally gotten from Renny, the boys go to work. And I start giggling... how cute are these two? Seriously? [...]
  • Women's Golf Ranked No. 9 In Preseason Golf World/NGCA Coaches' Poll
    Golf World released the results of the latest preseason College Coaches' Poll and the Auburn women's golf team is ranked No. 9 with 407 votes. [...]
  • Online Freebies
    This looks like a fun site! http://freestuffonline.com/ [...]
  • Rescue Me Mini-Episodes Are Hysterical
    Why the fuck do Denis Leary and Evan Reilly think anyone tunes into these shorts for slow motion vignettes that depict the lifestyles of these guys, whether it is professional or social? Generally [...]
  • What the Hell is That? Oregon Truffles
    Ok, so when I moved in to my house, I noticed these white tuber-like things growing just below the surface of some areas of my back yard, areas under some trees. I thought, huh?, at the time, and [...]
  • Michael Phelps to Host SNL Premiere
    Olympic golden boy Michael Phelps will make his acting debut as host of the premiere of the 34th season of Saturday Night Live. Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the Summer Olympics in [...]
  • Brad Pitt at the Venice Film Festival - Tons of Photos!
    ACK! I blink my eyes and a week goes by with no updates! I'm sorry Jolie-Pitt fans! But I have tons of news and am making up for my absence with lots of gorgeous photos! Brad brought Pax and [...]
  • Flair Appearances, TMZ: 'Nature Boy' Cometh - Video
    -TMZ reports:We almost didn't recognize him without a sequined jumper, feathered robe or skimpy shorts on, but retired WWE champ Ric Flair was looking almost normal at STK last night. Can we [...]