Headache is one of the most common complaints of patients seeking care for allergy and sinus problems. Pain may be frontal, mid-face, temporal, or in the back of the head pain. Generally, patients have tried over the counter medications without success only to turn to prescription antibiotics and antihistamines with the same result. Desperate for relief and convinced the pain is due to an allergy or sinus condition, they present to me for help.

Facial pain and headache (FP &HA) is a complex subject requiring a professional evaluation with a detailed history, examination and diagnostic testing. The following information is for general education and should not be used to make conclusions in a specific patient.

One of the most famous headache experts in the U.S. said, on a national talk show, allergies do not cause headaches. In my fifteen years of experience, many patients have reported their headaches diminished or resolved with appropriate allergy management. There clearly is some relationship between the two, but allergy is only one of several factors causing headaches. The role of allergies in headaches is probably much less than most people believe.