Headaches can have many causes, but if you’re suddenly getting headaches in the spring your headaches could be caused by seasonal allergies. The symptoms of seasonal allergies can vary from person to person and headaches are just one of the many different ways that seasonal allergies can affect your health.
For same-day allergy relief and treatment, visit the walk-in clinic at AFC Urgent Care Burlington. Our team of board-certified medical providers can examine your symptoms and help manage them down the road. Simply walk-in to the clinic or schedule your appointment online.
Why Spring Allergies Can Cause Headaches
There are two different types of headaches that can be caused by seasonal spring allergies: migraines and sinus headaches. Migraines are intense headaches that are usually accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light. Sinus headaches are less severe but can still be very painful. Typically sinus headaches involve some pain and some pressure in the face directly over one of the sinus cavities in the face. If you feel pain or pressure in your face when you bend over, that's a sinus headache.
Everyone has sinus cavities, or hollow spaces in the skull that open behind the nose. They’re like storage tanks for mucus that drains from the face and they also allow air into the skull. There are sinus cavities behind each of your cheekbones, behind your eyes, behind the bridge of your nose and in your forehead.
When you have seasonal allergies the body’s histamine response causes the sinus cavities to swell. That can block the opening to the cavity and cause pressure. Sinuses can also become blocked with mucus that is draining into the cavities. If your sinus cavities are blocked you can feel pain and pressure in your face, pain in your jaw, or even pain in upper teeth.
The sinus cavities are hollow air spaces in the skull, which have openings into the nose to allow air to enter and mucus to drain. They are located inside each cheekbone, behind the eyes, behind the bridge of the nose and in the forehead. Allergies can cause swelling in these sinus cavities, which may block the openings and cause pressure to build up.
How To Prevent Headaches And Other Allergy Symptoms
It’s very difficult to avoid getting sinus headaches and other allergy symptoms in the spring. Prescription sinus medication can help, along with home remedies to help manage those allergy symptoms. You can also minimize your headaches and allergy symptoms by avoiding allergy triggers. The most common allergy triggers are:
- Mold
- Pollen
- Pet Dander
- Grass
- Hay Fever
- Dust
If you’re not sure what is causing your spring allergies, getting tested for allergies by a doctor at Urgent Care can help you figure out what you’re allergic to so that you can avoid that trigger.
Treatment Options For Headaches And Seasonal Allergies
Seasonal allergies can make you feel awful even though they’re rarely serious. Why suffer if you don’t have to? Make an appointment or stop into urgent care and let a medical provider test you for allergies and possibly prescribe some medication that can help you manage your symptoms. Your provider can also give you some tips on how to minimize your symptoms. Visit AFC Urgent Care Burlington at your convenience, any day of the week. If you have any additional questions about our allergy relief services, please contact us directly at 781-270-4700.
