How to get rid of a headache with a runny nose?

One of the most common and unpleasant diseases is the common cold. In addition to poor health and weakness, it is accompanied by nasal congestion, damage to the mucous membrane and rhinitis. In addition, many people often have headaches from a runny nose, which further aggravates the situation. This can be caused not only by physiological processes occurring in the body, but also by various concomitant diseases, for example, sinusitis or inflammation of the lining of the brain. The presence of additional pathologies requires a comprehensive therapy program, which is impossible to choose on your own at home. It is best to contact a specialized specialist who will perform all the necessary tests and select the optimal treatment. Let's try to figure out why a headache occurs when you have a runny nose and what to do about it.

The main causes of migraines due to colds

Let's look at this in more detail. A person's runny nose develops as a result of severe hypothermia of the entire body or its individual parts. As a result, the nose becomes stuffy and other symptoms appear. To prevent pathogens from entering the body, blood begins to flow to the mucous membranes and they swell. Due to lack of oxygen in the brain, a runny nose causes headaches. However, this is not the only reason why people suffer from migraines during colds.

Among the main manifestations of this syndrome are the following:

• increased intracranial pressure;
• disruption of the body's functioning due to the penetration of viruses and bacteria into it;
• inflammation of the maxillary sinuses;
• otitis;
• meningitis.

If you have a severe runny nose and a headache, but your body temperature remains within normal limits, this does not mean that there is no serious illness, and everything will go away on its own. Many viral diseases have similar clinical manifestations to the runny nose. Therefore, it is best to go to the hospital for examination.

It is worth noting that migraines can be associated with a number of serious diseases that require immediate treatment. Let's take a closer look at each of them and find out what dangerous consequences they can be accompanied by.

Causes of stuffy nose and headaches

Hypothermia of the body provokes a cold, which is accompanied by a whole set of characteristic symptoms. As one of the protective reactions, a person’s nose gets stuffy.

The mucous membrane of the passages swells and becomes engorged with blood to reduce the likelihood of pathogens entering the respiratory system. The result is a deficiency of oxygen in the brain matter, causing cephalgia. This is only one of many factors that cause the symptom.

Causes of headaches with a runny nose and fever:

• increased intracranial pressure - a cold triggers mechanisms that lead to an increase in the volume of cerebrospinal fluid circulating in the cranium. The fluid begins to put pressure on the brain matter, causing pain;
• intoxication – the entry of viral and bacterial pathogens into the body with a weakened immune system, leading to their rapid reproduction and spread. Foreign agents begin to release toxins, to which the body reacts with fever, cephalalgia and weakness;
• sinusitis - the transition of the inflammatory process from the nasal mucosa to the tissue of the paranasal sinuses leads to damage to these cavities. A common complication of a runny nose rarely occurs without headache and general intoxication of the body;
• otitis - improper treatment of rhinitis can lead to inflammation spreading to the mucous membrane of the hearing organs. In this case, cephalgia is complemented by lumbago in the ear on the affected side, a decrease in the quality of sound perception;
• Meningitis is one of the most dangerous complications of rhinitis, in which inflammation spreads to the membranes of the brain. Signs of intoxication are complemented by nausea and vomiting, increased muscle tone in the back of the head, general weakness, and the patient’s violent reaction to bright light and loud sounds.

The situation when the nose is stuffy and the head hurts, but there is no temperature, also needs diagnosis and treatment. It may indicate the latent course of a number of viral infections, the development of allergic rhinitis, the body’s reaction to extreme fatigue or stress.

Frontit

Occurs when the frontal sinuses are damaged by an infectious or inflammatory process. In this case, the patient has a severe headache in the frontal part. Swelling of the upper eyelid in one or both eyes is often observed; touching the skin in this area causes discomfort. Eyes may hurt and water from tension. Severe rhinitis is accompanied by copious discharge of mucus or pus from the nasal passages. The quality of smell perception decreases. Often, a couple of days after the onset of symptoms, the clinical picture is supplemented by a cough.

Ethmoiditis

Inflammation affects the ethmoid labyrinth. The patient's temperature rises sharply, and painful sensations appear in the eyes and bridge of the nose. The condition is accompanied by nasal congestion and headache, difficulty breathing, and copious discharge of secretions from the nasal passages. The ability to perceive odors noticeably deteriorates. If comprehensive treatment is not carried out, it may disappear forever.

Sinusitis

When the maxillary sinuses are affected, the patient has a headache from a runny nose and general intoxication. Cephalgia is concentrated in the forehead and temples, aggravated by physical activity and bending. The patient's nose does not breathe, mucous or purulent secretion is released from the passages. The temperature may rise, but usually only slightly. There is a pressing sensation around the nose, which becomes sharper when tapping on the bridge of the nose and cheekbones.

The progression of the pathology is accompanied by general weakness, loss of appetite, and lethargy.

Furunculosis

Purulent inflammation of the tissues around the hair follicle can also affect the nasal cavity. At the same time, the mucous membrane swells, fills with blood, and an abscess is formed in its structure - a boil. The condition is accompanied by pain in the head and other signs of intoxication. The clinical picture is often complemented by visual signs of tissue damage. Depending on the severity of the disease, it may take the form of a small pimple or a large abscess. In the latter case, the situation is complicated by impaired nasal breathing, the symptoms are more vivid and gradually increase. The only way to get rid of headaches and other unpleasant sensations is to open the purulent formation, drain it and disinfect the area.

Allergic rhinitis

A violent reaction of the immune system to an allergen often occurs without fever. Most people

complains of headache, impaired nasal breathing due to swelling of the mucous membrane and congestion, lacrimation and sneezing. Often the picture is complemented by itchy skin, rashes, redness of the eyes and areas around the nose. Taking painkillers and vasoconstrictor compounds against this background rarely gives the desired effect. The use of antihistamines quickly brings relief while eliminating all symptoms.

Frontit

So, what is this disease? Very often, when you have a runny nose, the frontal part of your head hurts. In most cases, this is a sign of inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, located in the forehead. Among the main symptoms, in addition to severe migraines, are swelling of the eyeballs and eyelids, increased tearing, purulent and mucous discharge from the nose, and difficulty perceiving odors. Patients also often complain of a cough, which goes away on its own a few days after the illness.

Ethmoiditis

With severe hypothermia of the head, inflammation can spread not only to the mucous membrane, but also to the membranes of the cells of the ethmoid labyrinth. In this case, the person not only has a headache with a runny nose when bending over, but also has a very high temperature. Palpation of the eyes and bridge of the nose is accompanied by severe pain, breathing becomes difficult and odors are poorly recognized, and there is also abundant mucous discharge from the nasal passages. Ethmoiditis is dangerous because if complex therapy is not started in time, the patient’s sense of smell may disappear forever.

Runny nose and headache with acute rhinitis

This disease affects the nasal mucosa and worsens when the body's defenses are weakened. Bacteria that normally live in the nasal cavity, with poor immunity, begin to actively multiply, causing harm to the body.

Rhinitis can also be allergic (or seasonal), when a person reacts sharply to specific irritants: flowering plants, sun, dust, animal hair, insects, etc. In a person sensitive to such factors, sneezing is activated, tearing of the eyes increases, and snot appears. , severe headache. Discharge may accumulate in the throat, making it difficult for a person to cough up.

The cause of unpleasant sensations in the head can be an advanced form of rhinitis, due to which inflammation reaches the ear. This complication of a runny nose is called otitis media. It is expressed by strong painful shootings in the organ of hearing.

Sinusitis

Quite a common disease today. According to medical statistics, most patients with a runny nose have a headache due to inflammation of the maxillary sinuses. This is due not only to nasal congestion, but also to intoxication. Migraine affects the frontal region and temples, and is also significantly worsened by physical activity. Breathing through the nose becomes difficult, and in some cases may even be impossible. The increase in body temperature is insignificant, so most people do not pay due attention to the disease. In the later stages of sinusitis, a lethargic state, malaise and decreased appetite are added to the general clinical manifestations.

Prevention

There are many methods to combat head pain during a runny nose. It is worth understanding that unpleasant symptoms often go away sooner than rhinitis. This is due to careful treatment with medications and home methods.

Don't forget about preventive measures. But what should you do during treatment to avoid harming yourself? Let's highlight the basic rules:

1. Rest. To get rid of headaches as quickly as possible, it is important to rest. People report that the pain subsides after a good rest or sleep. You should not watch movies, surf the Internet or leaf through magazines. Let your head be at rest. Maximum - turn on light music.
2. Reducing loads. During illness, you should give up not only physical activity, but also mental work. Give your body a break from stress.
3. Rules of personal hygiene. Fresh air. Spending time in fresh air relieves symptoms. First, you should ventilate the room if it is not possible to leave the apartment. In addition, do not neglect visiting the shower. Together with sweat particles, toxic substances leave the human body and remain on the skin. If you do not follow the rules of hygiene, then substances will get back through the pores. If there is no elevated temperature, you can take a bath.

Furunculosis

Purulent-necrotic disease of the hair follicle can spread to the nasal cavity. Destructive disorders lead to swelling of the mucous membrane, as well as the formation of a purulent abscess. In this case, not only does the head hurt with a runny nose, but many other symptoms of intoxication and damage to soft tissues are also present. If the boil grows too large in size, it will partially block the nasal canal, making it difficult for the patient to breathe. As furunculosis progresses, the symptoms become more pronounced. There is only one treatment for this disease: doctors open the abscess, after which they clean it of accumulations and treat it with antiseptic agents.

Complications

Possible consequences of pathology

The best prevention is strengthening the immune system, hardening, regularly taking multivitamin complexes, proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. In this case, viral and bacterial infections will affect the body less often, and the disease itself will be easier.

It is important to start treatment from the very first signs of a cold. As soon as symptoms appear, you need to drink as much fluid as possible; hot drinks with lemon or raspberries, as well as bed rest, will help. In this case, it will be most effective, and the likelihood of complications is significantly reduced.

A runny nose with a headache if not treated correctly can lead to unpleasant consequences. For example, with self-medication and copious instillation of various herbal remedies and oils into the nose, allergic rhinitis may occur. It is accompanied by even more severe swelling and headache. The consequence of such severe rhinitis can be sinusitis, when the infection penetrates the maxillary sinuses, causing them to become inflamed. This leads not only to headaches in the nose, cheeks, forehead, but also to the formation of pus. Sinusitis is more difficult to treat than a common cold; it quickly becomes chronic.

In addition to sinusitis, frontal sinusitis or sphenoiditis may occur.

Frontitis is characterized by pressing pain in the forehead, and sphenoiditis is characterized by pain in the back of the head, radiating to the eyes. In this case, vision may even deteriorate.

The most frightening consequence is meningitis. Both sinusitis and otitis media can lead to it, since the meninges are located close to both the middle ear and the maxillary sinuses. The infection can spread to the brain. It is important to start treatment within the first day after symptoms appear, otherwise complications can be very serious: blindness, deafness, or even death. Unfortunately, recognizing meningitis is not so easy right away. Symptoms resemble regular flu, but often add high fever, severe headaches, vomiting, loss of consciousness, delirium, inability to tilt the head, and convulsions.

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Nasal congestion due to a cold, rhinitis or infectious tissue damage causes significant discomfort to the patient. A situation where you have a headache with a runny nose noticeably worsens your overall well-being and requires immediate initiation of therapy. In most cases, this combination of symptoms occurs under the influence of physiological processes in the body. The possibility of developing more serious pathological conditions, such as sinusitis or meningitis, cannot be excluded. Before starting therapy, you should visit a doctor so that a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis and recommend a treatment option. Incorrectly selected medications and physiotherapy products, even with a slight runny nose, can pose a danger.

Allergic rhinitis

When a pathogen enters the body, a response from the immune system begins, in which the body temperature can be either elevated or within normal limits. But headaches, difficulty breathing, runny nose and increased lacrimation haunt many. In some cases, skin rashes and itching may also occur. Taking painkillers and medications that help dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow have virtually no effect on allergic rhinitis. The only effective remedy in this case is antihistamines.

Why is the symptom dangerous?

If treatment of the pathology is not started in time, there is a risk of dangerous consequences. When self-medicating rhinitis and abundantly administering herbal remedies, there is a risk of developing allergic rhinitis. This will lead to more swelling and headaches. Such severe rhinitis can provoke sinusitis.

However, the most serious consequence is meningitis.

may be a consequence of otitis media, especially in children, or sinusitis, since the meninges are in close proximity to the organ of hearing and sinuses.

Basic treatment methods

This point deserves special attention. If you have a headache and runny nose, how to treat a cold? It is impossible to give a definite answer to this question, since the therapy program is selected individually by specialized specialists, depending on the patient’s clinical picture. At the same time, it is not recommended to self-medicate, since thoughtless use of antibiotics may not only not bring any positive results, but also significantly aggravate the patient’s condition, as well as cause various serious complications. At the same time, it is important to understand that it is useless to fight only migraines, since for recovery it is necessary to eliminate the very cause of the disease, and this requires complex therapy.

Physiotherapy

What are they? Most people are accustomed to fighting colds using traditional methods, the most common of which are thermal procedures. However, if a runny nose and headache are caused by inflammation of the maxillary sinuses with the accumulation of purulent complications, then they are contraindicated, since heating will only accelerate the progression of the disease. Therefore, physiotherapy is permissible for use only after an accurate diagnosis has been made. Nevertheless, many people are interested in the answer to the question: “A runny nose gives you a headache. What to do at home to improve your well-being? The only thing that is allowed is rubbing menthol oil into the temples, which will reduce pain and slightly alleviate symptoms.

Among the most effective physical therapy methods that are recommended for use for colds are the following:

• massage of the head and facial area;
• inhalation of essential and aromatic oils;
• rinsing the nasal cavity with saline solution;
• cold and warm compresses.

It is worth noting that therapy is determined depending on the type of disease and the nature of its course. In this case, a course of physiotherapy should be carried out not only until the patient’s well-being improves, but until his complete recovery. Otherwise, there is a high probability of relapse.

Relationship between symptoms

Why do runny nose and headache happen at the same time? To answer this question, you first need to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of their joint manifestation:

• sneeze;
• snot discharge;
• discomfort in the throat;
• pain in the frontal part of the head;
• general weakness;
• aches all over the body.

Now let’s learn more about why a headache can occur when you have a runny nose. This symptom can be infectious and allergic. The reason for the first is viruses and bacteria, which, once in an environment favorable to them, begin active activity. With such rhinitis, treatment should be aimed at destroying harmful microorganisms.

Allergic rhinitis occurs due to the entry of provocateurs into the nasal cavity, irritating the mucous membrane. It causes swelling and nasal congestion.

Headaches with a runny nose and flu are the result of dehydration. In addition, any infection or bacteria tends to release toxic substances that enter the bloodstream or lymph and thereby poison the body. This leads to a lack of potassium and sodium salts.

Changes that occur due to a runny nose in the body include:

• red and sore throat;
• the appearance of fatigue;
• pain in the frontal part of the head, sometimes in the heart;
• muscle weakness;
• dry mouth;
• pain when tilting the head.

The body needs additional fluid.
The body reacts with hyperthermia, weakness and aching in the bones and joints, and severe headaches appear. The latter with a runny nose occurs during fever and chills, when the body temperature begins to rise. The body's performance decreases, the throat may hurt when swallowing, nasal congestion and sneezing may occur. Typically, pain with a runny nose occurs in the forehead. Unpleasant sensations can cover the eyes and temples. If this occurs when bending over, sinusitis is possible. This is the general name for inflammation of the sinuses.

When an infection enters through the respiratory tract, the inflammatory process begins to progress, initially accompanied by rhinitis. The cause may be a cold, hypothermia, weak immunity, infection, etc.

A runny nose causes a headache, often the sensation intensifies in the front part of the head, as the frontal sinuses become inflamed. There are four types of sinusitis: sinusitis (maxillary sinuses are affected), frontal sinusitis (frontal), ethmoiditis (ethmoid), sphenoiditis (sphenoid). When the sinuses become filled with infectious fluid, severe discomfort occurs when bending over.

If you have a headache from a runny nose, the nasal passages are blocked and the mucous membrane is swollen, this indicates that the disease is becoming more complicated and requires serious treatment. When the snot begins to be actively released, the headache gradually recedes.

Incorrect therapy can worsen rhinitis. Many, self-medicating, instill various folk remedies into the nose, thereby complicating the course of the disease. Due to the wrong measures, everything can turn into sinusitis, which is dangerous due to the formation of pus in the sinuses.

The most severe form of rhinitis, accompanied by unbearable pain in the head, is the disease meningitis, in which inflammation reaches the membranes of the brain.

Even with limited neck movements, the pain intensifies and is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and fever.

Drug treatment

When a runny nose causes a headache, doctors are of the opinion that the most effective therapy is based on the use of modern medications. They allow you not only to get rid of nasal congestion and migraines, but also to stop the pathological processes occurring in the body. As practice shows, treating many diseases with folk remedies is fraught with very serious consequences.

Depending on the origin of the disease, the following medications may be prescribed:

• antibiotics;
• antiviral;
• painkillers;
• vasodilators;
• antiseptics.

The doctor decides which medications to prescribe. For therapy to be as effective as possible, the patient must remain in bed and ensure adequate fluid balance. The latter helps remove toxins from the body and strengthen the immune system.

How to help yourself at home

When signs of pathology appear, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system and activate the body's reserve forces. To do this you need:

• ventilate the room at least twice a day;
• wipe dust more often;
• stay in bed for several days;
• take vitamin complexes and immunostimulants;
• limit contact with other people during therapy.

If rhinitis and headaches are present for a long time, you should not abandon the use of antipyretic drugs and analgesics. It is also recommended to take combination medications for influenza and ARVI.

Menthol oil helps to cope with a runny nose. This product should be applied to the forehead, behind the ears, in the occipital region, temples. If you are not allergic, you can use herbal infusions based on lemon balm and mint.

To eliminate severe inflammation, apply a cold compress to your forehead. You can also take hot tea with lemon and raspberries. It is very useful to drink milk with honey.

How to relieve a headache in one minute:

Traditional methods of treatment

If you want to beat a cold as quickly as possible, then taking medications and physiotherapy can be combined with traditional medicine. However, it is best to coordinate this with your doctor so as not to cause further harm to your health. With the right approach, taking various decoctions and infusions prepared from various medicinal plants, you can significantly improve your well-being and minimize the likelihood of complications. It is also worth noting that you should not get too carried away with traditional remedies, since very often they cause irritation of the mucous membrane, as a result of which allergic reactions begin in the nasal canals.

The most effective methods of traditional medicine are the following:

• rubbing lime juice into the temple area;
• inhalation with lavender and basil oils;
• aromatherapy using heating lamps;
• compresses with potato juice;
• drinking teas brewed from chamomile and lemon balm.

It is worth noting that it is strictly forbidden to fight migraines with the help of alcoholic beverages and medications that contain alcohol. They promote vasodilation, which will lead to exacerbation of clinical manifestations.