Researchers have identified a new site for migraine triggers that everyone has been overlooking for years, despite the fact that it’s plain as the nose on your face. In fact, it is the nose on your face.
It turns out that allergies and other sources of nose irritation can lead to worse migraines.
Nose irritation May Trigger More Extreme Migraines
Brand-new research published online in the journal Cephalalgia (Latin for headache) showed that there was a connection between migraines and rhinitis, irritation of the nose.
The results are based on a survey of nearly 6000 migraine sufferers, two-thirds of whom also suffered from allergies and other types of rhinitis.
People with rhinitis were about 33% more likely to experience frequent migraines than those without rhinitis.
To determine the significance of the connection, they then divided sufferers into three groups: those with nose irritation from non-allergic sources, such as too strong perfume, those with nose irritation from allergies, and those with nose irritation from both sources. The people with the most frequent nose irritation tended to have 45% more migraines and were 60% more likely to have disabling migraines.
They also found that when allergy sufferers got an allergy shot to reduce their symptoms, they had 52% fewer migraines.
Migraine Triggers May Be in Many Places
Research into the nose as a trigger point for migraines confirms what we already know: your migraine may be felt in your brain, but it may be caused by something else. The researchers note that they don’t know which condition is the cause and which is the effect, but the fact that allergy treatment reduces migraines seems to point toward allergies being the cause.
This is similar to the way that TMJ treatment reduces the frequency and severity of migraines. If your migraines seem to be triggered by jaw pain or tension headaches, TMJ treatment may actually be right for you.
To learn more, please call (303) 691-0267 at the TMJ Therapy & Sleep Center of Colorado in Denver.
