I just wanted to know, if anyone suffers with headaches everytime the weather changes. I have allergies/sinus problems and have had them for many years. It just seems since I have gotten older that the headaches come more often when the weather flucuates. Can anyone relate?

Weather change bothers most everything including sinuses. Aches and pains seem to increase at this time.

I have allergies all seasons, but worst in spring and fall. I get headaches especially when it is windy. I take a sinus headache tablet and that helps a little.

KJ

N2golf - I can certainly relate. You might be suffering from Migraines in addition to your allergies and sinus problems. There are different types of Migraine headaches and they can be weather triggered - brought on by marked changes in barometric pressure, especially going from high pressure to low pressure and, can increase in frequency and severity as you get older. The good news is that around age 45 is the peak and most sufferers see a decline in frequncy and severity thereafter. For the first ten years that I got migraines I didn't have a clue that's what they were, even with a family history, because mine were not the classic symptoms that I *thought* belonged to migraines. They weren't debilitating, though I definately knew I was a walking barameter. I coined them "sweet headaches" because I got an unusual sweet taste in my mouth when they came on and as the hours went by my head felt presed upon and heavy... but no pounding pain. The pain and frequency has increased over the years and I now have more trigors than just the weather. Interestingly, I have discovered by trial and error, that taking Claritin increases the frequency - I get about three times as many migraines when taking Claritin.

Recent studies (June 2002) published in a Canadian medical journal suggest that intervention at the earliest warning is one of the best treatment strategies for migraines. I have tried a lot of suplements and drugs and found that good ol' Bayor *Buffered* Aspirin is the best, with the least side effects - but it must be taken within a few minutes of feeling the first symptoms. The longer (measured in minutes, not hours) you wait to intervene the less likely you will be able to stop a migraine in its tracks. Take care and try to get your hands on some literature - a pharmacist may have something more 'readable' than published studies.

Zaq,

Thanks for your input, but, I am curious about what you said about the Claritin....they give you MORE headaches? The thing is, weather I eat something, take a med., weather, etc...and I get a headache, I never really know what to attribute it to. I guess if I were to just to do one thing a day which is impossible, then I could narrow it and link it to the cause of my headaches. When seeing a Neurologist, he said that there was no such thing as a "sinus headache"...That threw me off! I'm not sure if it's migrains because I don't have the classic migrain symptoms, so...I can only relate it to weather because as far as a food allergy goes, people eat so many different things in a day, that if you have a delayed reaction as far as a headache goes, how on earth is someone to know if they have a food allergy unless they have a major reaction such as hives or something to that nature. Allergies....what they still don't know!

Hi,
I certainly can relate to you. I always got change of season headaches, headaches from cold weather and wind. ect.
I attributed it to sinus problems and allergies ect., as did my doctor.I finally went to a neurologist after a severe headache bout and found out I have migraine headaches. Allergies and weather change bring on migraine headaches for me.
I now take an allergy medication (when needed) and migraine medication(when needed) and a calcium channel blocker(daily) which has helped a lot.

Longell,

I'm curious about the calcium channel blocker you take - what is it and how does it work?

N2golf,

Yes, I actually get *more* headaches when I'm on Claritin. I don't understand the relationship, but there is one type of Migraine (however apparently *not* the type I get) that has "histaminic" in the name of it. That suggests that there is some known relationship - in at least one type of migraine - between the body's histamine production and migraine pain. And, since Claritin is an anti-histamine...? I would like to learn more about this relationship if anyone has any info or sources to post.

It's certainly true that allergies are not well understood. Personally, I feel that it's at least partly because doctors are too quick to give pat answers and less interested in asking enough questions. A neurologist who would dismiss "sinus headaches" without thoroughly pursuing the cause of your suffering, sounds like a kook! But, don't give up - you can put the puzzle pieces together and learn to manage your headaches so they don't restrict your daily living.

On migraine triggers: Two things researchers know for sure is that there are many common triggers for migraines and, they are not the same for every sufferer. In fact, what helps one sufferer to fight off a headache can be a trigger for another. For example, some people can fight off a migraine with caffeine while others find that drinking coffee or eating chocolate will trigger a migraine. It's a matter of paying attention to your own body.

Some of the known migraine triggers are:
- barometric changes (especially abrupt drops in pressure after several sunny days)
- getting a chilled head
- sinus pressure
- tension in neck and shoulders
- changes in sleep patterns such as sleeping in on weekends
- changes in pace such as run-run-run on Mon to Fri and then relaxing on weekends ("weekend migraines" are quite common and can be a huge strain on relationships)
- hormones (especially during menstrual periods)
- certain medications for chronic pain, heart conditions or high blood pressure
- birth control pills
- foods containing the natural chemical, tyramine, such as cheese, yogurt, sour cream, yeast extracts, smoked fish...
- nitrates (food additives in hot dogs and luncheon meats...)
- Aspartame (found in diet sodas and some sugar free foods...)
- MSG (monosodium glutamate - a flavor enhancer in many packaged foods and Chinese food)
- nuts
- chocolate
- coffee
- alcohol (especially beer and wine)
- being around smokers
- perfumes, fragrances or chemical smells
- diesel fuel vapors and exhaust (also coal oil and airline fuel)

Sorry this is such a long post - but hope this list is helpful.