Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers recently highlighted various potential allergy-related causes of headache and ways to treat headaches resulting from allergies.

A common symptom of allergies, Healthline indicates that 70 to 80% of people experience headaches, and 50% notice the pain at least once a month. Much of the discomfort can be caused by the swelling of nasal passages, but other allergy-related causes for the headaches include allergic rhinitis, food allergies and histamine, which is often produced once the body detects an allergic reaction. This can lead to a decline in blood pressure, which can then bring on a headache from allergies.

“If it's inflamed, it's going to swell. If it swells, it can occlude the sinus ostium or passage, causing a backflow of mucus in the sinus, which then causes certain things to happen, which can bring on a sinus infection,” Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free explains. “So by treating the allergy, you decrease the inflammation. You can maintain the sinus openings so that they drain effectively and reduce recurrent and chronic sinusitis.”

The main treatments recommended by doctors include over-the-counter medications, subcutaneous immunotherapy and sublingual therapy, which involves allergy drops, much of which have been approved by the FDA.

“The sublingual drops have not been approved yet in this country. However, in Europe, it has been approved and is widely used, and they've even gotten away from the subcutaneous injections,” Ditto said. “Because even though (injections) are fairly safe, sublingual therapy is safer.”

Sometimes allergies related to sinus disease can cause headaches.  Although it’s a good idea to discuss taking any medication with your doctor, you can address certain allergies -- and allergy-related symptoms such as headaches -- with preventive steps and over-the-counter medications. If your allergies get to a point where they’re interfering with your day-to-day life, make an appointment with your doctor for a full diagnosis and possibly a referral to an allergist.

A sinus quiz is offered to patients in need of evaluating their allergy symptoms.

Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers is committed to  providing the best sinus and allergy relief in Central Virginia and beyond, using the most advanced, proven patient-friendly techniques  available. With 29 million Americans suffering from sinusitis and 242,000 annual chronic sinusitis ER visits, our mission is to provide minimally invasive options for needed long-lasting relief so that patients can get back to living. We call this mission Breathe Free and  Live Well, and it is the North Star that guides us in each unique collaborative patient interaction. To learn more about Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers, please visit our website.