Does allergy cause migraines? Is there any connection between allergy and migraine?

I often heard allergies may cause migraines. But I noticed I had migraines all over the year, with the difference that migraine gets worse at some periods of the year. I feel my migraine is worse in the allergy season and in hot weather. So, is there a real connection between migraines and nasal allergies?

Please don’t confuse food allergies, nasal allergies, and food triggers together. Food allergy is a body reaction to a certain food. For example, some people get a skin rash when they eat fish. Certainly not everybody! That is a good thing! Nasal allergy is the body’s reaction to pollen or other allergens, and it is characterized mainly by sneezing. Migraine food triggers are certain foods, that when eaten, either aggravate or start migraine.

Allergy headache or Migraine?

Nasal allergy is the body’s reaction to allergens (pollens, dust, mold, dander, etc) when one inhales air that contains some allergens. The body treats these allergens as intruders or microbial entities and starts fighting them. The result is the release of histamine that triggers or makes migraines worse. If you have nasal allergies, you should feel a respiratory tract inflammation, runny nose, and watery eyes. Nasal allergy is constant and can bother you to the extent it becomes an annoyance. Your body temperature increases, making you feel “hay fever” and a dull headache. If the headache is dull and not strong then it is an allergy headache. According to a study, conducted in May 2006 with about 300 participants, 34% of people with allergic rhinitis had migraine symptoms. And only 4% of participants without allergic rhinitis had migraine symptoms. The conclusion is that nasal allergy may trigger or worsens migraine.

OTC allergy drugs causes headaches!

The medicine that you take to relieve allergies may contain some ingredients that cause headaches or trigger migraines. Diphenhydramine: (benadryl) can cause sedation, tiredness, sleepiness, dizziness, and disturbed coordination, which in turn lead to nervousness, irritability, and blurred vision. Pseudoephedrine: is an ingredient commonly used as a nasal decongestant (used in Sudafed, Actifed, Claritin-D, and Contac). Its adverse effects include central nervous system (CNS) stimulation, sleeplessness, nervousness, excitability, dizziness and anxiety. Note that the symptoms of CNS stimulation include nightmares, talkativeness, excitement, mania, tremor, insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, euphoria, acute rage reactions, and hyperactivity. These ingredients can trigger headaches, so watch out for them whenever you try to get an allergy medicine.

What can we do?

You may try to use nasal sprays and eye drops since they are intended to function locally and avoid interactions with other medications. Nasonex combined with some eye drops work well for me without side effects.