Sinus Headaches and Migraines: Which is which?

Has suffering from frequent headaches become  a part of your everyday life? Are these headaches affecting your daily function? Every one has a headache at some time or another, but for many people, headaches are an ongoing and debilitating problem. Statistics from 2007 show that 12 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches, meaning that they have a headache 15 days out of each month.

There are many different types of headaches, including: tension-type headaches, migraine headaches, sinus headaches, cluster headaches, organic headaches and rebound headaches. Today, I am going to be discussing migraines and sinus headaches and the difference between the two.

Migraines

Though migraines afflict as many as 29.5 million people in the United States, they are commonly misdiagnosed as sinus headaches. This is because of the similar symptoms: pain and pressure in the sinuses, nasal congestion, and watery eyes. When nausea and sensitivity to light are also present, it is probably a migraine headache with sinus symptoms and NOT a sinus headache.

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The Effect of Pool Swimming on Sinus Symptoms

It’s the middle of summer, the kids are home from school and perhaps you’d like to soak in some vitamin D. Why not spend the day at the pool? Swimming is a great way to stay active and enjoy the sunshine while spending time with friends and family. Lap swimming is also an excellent form of aerobic fitness. Whether you’re having fun in the sun or getting your cardio workout in, pool swimming can cause congestion, sinus pain, and sinus headaches. There are two main culprits for these issues: chlorine and pressure changes from underwater swimming.

Bacteria, viruses, or fungi in pool water can enter the nasal passages, which can lead to inflammation and even cause infections. Chlorine, however, is an even more common cause for post-swim sinus problems. The chlorine in pools can cause inflammation in the lining of the sinuses—sinusitis—as well as inflammation in the lining of the nasal passages—rhinitis. This can last as long as one to two weeks, which is definitely not something you want to have to deal with.

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