Allergy Headaches
What You Need To Know About Allergy Headaches
Anyone that has ever had an allergy headache knows the pain that it can cause and how it can ruin your day and stop any plans you may have had. Allergies are not a direct cause of the headache but rather an underlying cause. When you are exposed to something that you are allergic to, histamine is released. This then leads to the dilation of blood vessels in your brain causing the headache. It is said that allergies cause 70% of headaches in the United States so if you are suffering, you are not alone and people that have allergies in return have a 14% more chance to suffer from migraines.
There are three different types of allergy headaches; sinus, migraines and cluster. A sinus headache is extremely common, especially in rainy seasons or during weather changes. The pain is in your face, behind your forehead, eyes, nose and even your cheekbones. It’s one of those headaches that feel better when you put pressure on your forehead. Migraines are a more severe level of headache pain. It is not uncommon when suffering from a migraine to have pain only on one side of your head and it can be intensified by light or sound. Many people that suffer from migraines need to lay down in a very dark room away from any noise to cope with it. They can also cause nausea and vomiting from the pain. Cluster headaches are those that come on very suddenly and usually last around 45 minutes but they can range from five minutes to several hours.
There are several things that can cause allergy headaches. The most popular one is a food allergy. It is common that people consume things that they are not aware can trigger an allergic reaction. This is a reason why people that suffer from Migraines who switch to a vegan diet immediately are cured. Dairy is a huge cause of migraines that studies are just now starting to prove. Eliminating any animal products from your diet greatly cuts down on the chance to suffer from an allergy headache. A large dairy food that is a cause is cheese because it contains Tyramine. Sorry for you all chocolate lovers out there; Phenyl ethylamine is in chocolate which is a huge trigger agent for allergies as well as Aspartame that is in artificial sweeteners. Monosodium glutamate in oriental food seems to top the lists as well. Allergy headaches can also be triggered by chemicals, jewelry, personal hygiene products, scents from perfume or flowers, pollen, dust and dander.
Keeping a journal is a handy way to narrow down the cause of your allergy headache. Write down foods you ate prior to one coming on, any animals you may have been around or other factors like vacuuming or cleaning out the garage that may have exposed you to dust or chemicals. Learning the things that make your head begin to explode is the first step in knowing how to avoid that pain. If food allergies are not the cause and you need other remedies besides a vegan diet, your doctor may recommend nasal sprays or allergy pills and sometimes shots. Many people also have much luck with Essential oils. Peppermint which seems to be the mighty healer of many ailments can be applied to your temples, back of your neck and throat. You can also inhale the peppermint oil by putting a drop in the cup of your palm and breathing in.
Many times symptoms only occur sporadically but if you are suffering from severe allergy headaches see your doctor to get tested for the cause so that you can find a cure.