• links to https://headache-hurts.com
    links to https://headache-hurts.de

    Learn more about us:

  • Preventing Headache

  • & Migraine Attacks

  • At University

Menu Close
Living with Migraine

Migraine is not an allergy

Migraine is not an allergic disorder, but migraine is more common in people with allergies. Doctors noticed the link more than a century ago. Individual case reports dating mainly from the first half of the 20th century noted that allergies were common in migraineurs. This prompted theories that the allergic reactions triggered the migraine. The migraine disappeared when the allergy was treated, some studies claimed. From today's perspective, the research was not conclusive because of the short observation periods and typically very small number of cases studied.

Sniffing out the link: migraine and chronic rhinitis

More recent migraine studies looked at some of the complications of allergies, including chronic rhinitis (having a runny nose all the time) and asthma. A study into chronic rhinitis in 5894 migraineurs showed that impairment from headache events was worst in people with chronic rhinitis, either due to allergy or non-specific stimuli such as cigarette smoke, perfume, or the like.

The same subset of patients were also more likely to have asthma. The link between migraine and asthma was examined in more detail by a 2016 Taiwanese study in 127,798 subjects. The risk of migraine was found to be 1.45-fold higher in subjects with asthma.

A common but often incorrect diagnosis: "sinus headache"

It is an unfortunate fact that people with allergies are very often wrongly diagnosed with “sinus headache” when they actually have migraine. The Sinus, Allergy and Migraine Study (SAMS) by the Headache Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, showed as early as 2006 that a large proportion of patients with so-called sinus headaches were misdiagnosed.

Some of those cases were self-diagnosed but others were misdiagnosed by specialists. Of the total 100 subjects who believed they suffered from sinus headache, 52% actually suffered from migraine and 11% from medication-overuse headache associated with migraine. So overall, 63% of participants were affected by migraine. The mean time since the first headache was 24 years, and the current mean number of headache days per month was 14. The authors confirmed what others had suspected: sinus headache is the most common misdiagnosis in migraine patients.

Hope through allergy treatment?

A 2010 Medical University of Cincinnati study in 536 subjects investigating the effects of allergen-specific immunotherapy caused quite a stir when it showed that immunotherapy recipients had significantly less frequent and disabling migraine headaches than subjects not receiving immunotherapy – but only if they were under 40 years old.

Allergies are not the actual cause of migraine

None of the referenced studies sees the allergy as the cause of migraine, debunking the ‘allergy causes migraine’ theory. However, numerous studies do indicate that an allergy can be a major trigger for a migraine attack, especially if the allergen is breathed in and affects the mucous membranes of the head and neck.

One possible explanation is that an allergic reaction causes a burst in energy consumption and causes stress to the autonomic nervous system, which (like any kind of stress) can in turn trigger a migraine.

  • 1. Martin VT, Fanning KM, Serrano D, Buse DC, Reed ML, Bernstein JA, Lipton RB. Chronic rhinitis and its association with headache frequency and disability in persons with migraine: results of the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) Study. Cephalalgia. 2014 Apr;34(5):336–48. doi: 10.1177/0333102413512031. Epub 2013 Nov 25. PubMed PMID: 24275145.

    2. Martin VT, Taylor F, Gebhardt B, Tomaszewski M, Ellison JS, Martin GV, Levin L, Al-Shaikh E, Nicolas J, Bernstein JA. Allergy and immunotherapy: are they related to migraine headache? Headache. 2011 Jan;51(1):8–20. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2010.01792.x. Epub 2010 Nov 4. PubMed PMID: 21054364.

    3. Eross E, Dodick D, Eross M. The Sinus, Allergy and Migraine Study (SAMS). Headache. 2007 Feb;47(2):213–24. PubMed PMID: 17300361.

    4. Peng YH, Chen KF, Kao CH, Chen HJ, Hsia TC, Chen CH, Liao WC. Risk of Migraine in Patients With Asthma: A Nationwide Cohort Study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016 Mar;95(9):e2911. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000002911. PubMed PMID: 26945388; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4782872.

    close

Zurück

NOCH MEHR:

LATEST
ARTICLES

DIE NEUSTEN
INFORMATIONEN

Deep Dive

Up to ten percent of people with migraine experience the phenomenon known as “aura”. The ancient Greeks used this term to describe a cool breath of air. Today, it is used in medicine to mean the
Deep Dive

Our perception of the world relies on a complex interaction between our brain and our sensory organs. Sensory stimuli that we receive through our eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin are converted into
The bigger picture

People with headaches and migraines often feel that their suffering is not taken seriously. Because their pain is not visible to those around them, it’s easy for others to dismiss it as minor or even
Deep Dive

Our bodies are engaged in countless processes around the clock. Most of these happen without us consciously initiating them, and many go completely unnoticed. We breathe in and out all day long
Deep Dive

Headaches affect almost everyone. With their widespread prevalence comes a remarkable array of myths surrounding their causes. Let’s delve into some “classic” headache myths and see if there’s any
Deep Dive

Headaches affect almost everyone. With their widespread prevalence comes a remarkable array of myths surrounding their causes. Let’s delve into some “classic” headache myths and see if there’s any
The bigger picture

Presenteeism in the narrower sense used in this article means when employees show up for work despite being ill. How widespread is this phenomenon? Why do people choose work over rest and recovery?
The bigger picture

Many people believe their headaches are directly related to the weather. We explored the connections in a previous article. The verdict: the science so far has not uncovered any mechanisms that would
Deep Dive

Developed by American doctor and psychologist Edmund Jacobson, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a valuable tool for headache sufferers. As described previously in this article, numerous studies
Deep Dive

How do migraine headaches feel? Are they the same for everyone affected by them? How severe is my pain and how much does it limit me?

People who want to measure pain are faced with a significant
Headaches as a symptom of long COVID

“The coronavirus pandemic is over!” As these words were pronounced a good two years after the outbreak of a hitherto unknown viral infection, which had the whole world paralysed for a long time, there
DEEP DIVE

The medication-overuse headache (referred to hereafter as MOH) has been well-known for a relatively long time. It was first described as an independent phenomenon in 1951. According to its definition,
PREVENTION IN PRACTICE

Studying was badly affected by the coronavirus crisis. Many new students were caught unawares by the suspension of in-person events and could not enjoy lectures and classes in a familiar environment
Prevention in Practice

For many of us, the summer holidays are the best time of year. We have put together several tips in this article on how to achieve real relaxation – regardless of whether you want to take some time
DEEP DIVE

The fact that stress is a key factor in the development of migraine attacks is undisputed and repeatedly backed up by research. In practice, it is clear that people with migraine who succeed in
THE BIGGER PICTURE

Our genes are subject to the laws of evolution. Since the beginnings of humanity, they have undergone constant change, and still do to this day. We know that the course of evolution intends for traits
The bigger picture

We all know about pain. Pain is an important mode of communication between us and our organism. Contrary to what has long been assumed, it seems that there are differences between men and women when
DEEP DIVE

In our last article, we presented several explanatory approaches to the connection between blood pressure and headaches. In this continuation, we will be explaining a further, much-discussed
DEEP DIVE

The question of how headaches and high blood pressure relate to each other has a long tradition in medical research. Even today, the results in this field are very inconsistent and continue to give
Living with Tension-Type Headache

If you sleep badly, you have a higher risk of getting headaches. At the same time, headaches often bring about sleeping problems. It is undisputed that both headaches and bad sleep influence each
The bigger picture

The World Health Organisation (WHO) counts migraine as one of the most severely disabling illnesses affecting humanity; in general, headache disorders are a great burden to those affected by them. In
PREVENTION IN PRACTICE

Stress is an undisputed factor in the development of headaches and migraine. Relaxing and calming measures are important pillars of migraine and headache prevention, and current research supports this
DEEP DIVE

The fact that wearing face masks can effectively prevent getting infected with the coronavirus, is now adequately proven. Covid face masks therefore belong to the repertoire of measures we are
DEEP DIVE

Migraine is a neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Centuries-worth of research into this complex clinical entity is continuing to give birth to new hypotheses. The last few
The bigger picture

The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks migraine among the world’s most disabling illnesses. Yet migraine stigma persists. Many people are skeptical about migraine and other headache disorders,
Prevention in Practice

Holistic management of migraine and other types of headache now offers a treatment arsenal that is about much more than medication alone. In fact, it embraces many elements of behavioral therapy.
The bigger picture

In a world full of sensory overload, silence is something many people only know from hearsay. This article looks at why unplugging from environmental noise is good medicine for headaches and migraine
Prevention in Practice

The classic advice from experts in headache prevention is to drink regularly. Boozing every night? Well, no. They mean staying hydrated and giving your body the fluids it needs. Specialists recommend
DEEP DIVE

The brains of people with migraine have a special way of processing sensory input. Headache research suggests that a migraine brain responds to incoming stimuli sooner and faster than a non-migraine
Living with Migraine

The diet-headache connection is one of the hottest of topics for patients and experts alike. Migraine sufferers often see a direct link between how and what they eat and a migraine attack. This
Give yourself a break

Studies show that headache disorders take a heavy toll on student productivity and performance. Nearly one in three sufferers reported 'severe disability' (the highest severity level) using the MIDAS
The bigger picture

Humans are hard-wired to follow a routine. Your natural 24-hour cycle (circadian rhythm) governs many of the physiological processes in your body, including brain activity, blood pressure, hormones
DEEP DIVE

Paradoxical but true: medications you take for headache relief can themselves trigger headaches. A nervous system control mechanism is behind this phenomenon. Taking painkillers regularly and for a
Living with Migraine

Many people with a migraine will try to get out of the light. Often they have no choice but to go into a dark room and wait for the attack to end. Increased sensitivity to light is common in people
Current Research

All the statistics show that migraine affects women more than men, but experts disagree on what causes this gender gap. The role of sex hormones as migraine triggers is a hot research topic these
Digital stress and its consequences

Digital stress (or technostress) is a burgeoning area of interest in medical and social science research. How does it affect us to be surrounded by digital media in almost every area of our lives?
Prevention in Practice

Congratulations, you made it through another digital semester of online lectures, studying alone on your laptop, the final push to pass your exams. Semester break is here and you so deserve it. As the
Prevention in Practice

Where would we be without our smartphones? Life these days is hard to imagine without a phone to plan the day, find information we need right this second, keep up with hobbies or just to pass the
The bigger picture

Rarely has a saying been more apt than now. Covid is a headache on so many levels. The contact restrictions are causing profound distress. Fear and uncertainty are everywhere. Will it ever go away?
The bigger picture

Do short, gray, sunless winter days get you down? You’re not alone. The science is clear: daylight-deprived winter days affect our mood. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors would say it’s time to retreat
Current Research

Everyone has a different noise tolerance level. One person’s “barely noticeable” is another’s “unbearable”. Many people find it especially hard to be around those everyday sounds we hear all the time.
Prevention in Practice

The most strenuous events are not usually distributed evenly across the week. Monday mornings (that notorious 8. a.m. lecture...) can frazzle your nerves and set the week off to a highly stressful
DEEP DIVE

Vertigo (spinning dizziness) in migraine has only recently gained traction as a research topic. The science on migraine-related vertigo is unclear. One study found that only 10% of people are
Current Research

Coffee ranks high on the headache triggers list. The ingredient that gives you the buzz – caffeine – is one of the best-loved psychostimulants (uppers) ever. As a pick-me-up at work or just to hang
Prevention in Practice

In a 2018 study by Turner and Houle, headache patients were asked what factors commonly trigger their pain. Three-quarters said stress was the main trigger, closely followed by "irregular meals" and
The bigger picture

Teeth grinding (bruxism) has been commonly linked to headache. Bruxism is not a niche phenomenon. One in five female college students and one-tenth of their male peers are aware that they clench or
The bigger picture

The exercise-headache connection continues to vex scientists. Conducting genuine evidence-based science is hard because, first, the research conditions are difficult to standardize; second, many of
The bigger picture

The "HEADACHE HURTS" campaign taught us that (especially if you have migraine) about 7 hours of regular, undisturbed sleep is a great way to stop horrible headache attacks or at least not provoke them
Prevention in Practice

Headaches make it harder to think, reason and remember – so when you need to be on top of your game, pampering your brain is crucial. Proactive headache prevention is essential, because you need to be
The bigger picture

The impact of weather on wellbeing features regularly on just about every media channel you could name. With so many people reporting that changes in the weather trigger a migraine or tension-type
DEEP DIVE

Your brain produces large amounts of waste products (cellular detritus; remnants of dead cells, proteins and much more) that need to be cleared away to keep your brain healthy.

One example of harmful
Prevention in Practice

Careful nutrition can help prevent headaches. But careful nutrition doesn’t just mean what you eat, but when and how. Migraine patients benefit from a regular daily routine that is less likely to
DEEP DIVE

The term “stress” as used today was coined by Hans Selye, a Hungarian-Canadian clinician who defined it as "the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change". Selye once called stress