Are Allergies Triggering Your Migraine Attacks?
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Are Allergies Triggering Your Migraine Attacks?

Are Allergies Triggering Your Migraine Attacks?
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Updated on March 21, 2025
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Allergies are the immune system’s response to a foreign substance, or allergen, that’s mistakenly identified as harmful. Allergic reactions can trigger a cascade of reactions that may cause watery eyes, sneezing, and congestion.

 In some people, allergies may also trigger sinus headaches or migraine attacks.
Migraine is a complex neurological disease often characterized by severe pain, sensory sensitivity, nausea, and vomiting.

 Although “allergy migraine” isn’t a medical diagnosis, it’s possible to have allergies and experience a migraine attack at the same time. But it can be hard to distinguish between migraine attacks and sinus headaches, making diagnosis challenging.

Allergies and Migraine: What’s the Link?

Allergens like pollen, dust, and animal hair don’t cause migraine. But the body’s reaction to allergens can trigger migraine attacks in people who already have the disease.

“Allergic reactions cause a release of inflammatory mediators that can cause inflammation in the brain and trigger a migraine,” says Stephen Kimura, MD, an allergist and immunologist in private practice in Pensacola, Florida, and a medical reviewer for Everyday Health. “Histamine is one of those inflammatory mediators.”

Histamine is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger.

 It’s responsible for producing the symptoms of allergic reactions or anaphylaxis, as well as regulating the sleep-wake cycle

 — which plays an important role in migraine. Histamine may also affect the activity of the hypothalamus, a brain structure that plays a role in migraine.
Additionally, nasal congestion and inflammation — common allergy symptoms — can activate the trigeminal nerve in the nose. This nerve carries pain and other sensations from the face to the brain, and any irritation can trigger migraine attacks.

 Nasal congestion can also lead to poor sleep, which is a common migraine trigger.
Allergies can affect the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), too, which helps your body rest and digest.

 Like histamine and the trigeminal nerve, the PNS is believed to play a role in migraine.

People can have either allergies or migraine without having the other condition. But migraine attacks are more common in individuals with allergies, says Dr. Kimura. The relationship between the two is bidirectional, meaning having one increases the risk of developing the other.

Allergies and migraine attacks share similar causes, which scientists believe are a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including exercise, stress, certain foods, and weather changes.

Certain allergy symptoms can increase the risk of developing a migraine attack, too. People who tend to have more sinus symptoms with facial pressure and nasal congestion are more likely to experience migraine attacks, says Kimura. “Whereas the people with more nasal drainage, sneezing, and itchy watery eyes seem to have less of the headache or sinus pressure.”

Allergies and Headaches

Migraine is a neurological disease that causes recurrent episodes of severe head pain, typically on one side of the head, and symptoms like nausea and vomiting. They can last for hours or days. Headaches are episodes of head pain that can occur on one or both sides of the head. They’re not as severe as migraine attacks, and they’re often a symptom of an allergic reaction or another health condition. Allergies are especially associated with sinus headaches, which can also be caused by the common cold, flu, or a bacterial infection.

 Symptoms include pain on both sides of your face, thick mucous discharge, and a reduced sense of smell.

While migraine attacks and headaches differ, both types of head pain tend to develop in similar ways and trigger similar symptoms when caused by allergies. Both may cause facial pain, sinus congestion, and potentially a runny nose. So, it can be easy to confuse the two.

“I see people with allergies who think they have sinus headaches when in reality, many of them meet the criteria for migraine,” says Lauren Doyle Strauss, DO, an associate professor in neurology at VCU Health in Richmond, Virginia. At least 50 percent of people who report having a sinus headache may actually be experiencing a migraine attack.

“[Allergies and migraine] are similar in that headaches can be caused by allergies and nasal congestion with facial pressure,” Kimura says. “It is in the same location that most people feel the pain, so it can be hard to differentiate.”

How to Prevent and Treat Migraine Attacks Caused by Allergies

If your allergies are triggering migraine attacks, prevention can start with reducing your exposure to allergens. Get allergy testing and learn what’s really provoking your allergies.

Kimura suggests the following strategies for preventing allergic reactions:

  • Use allergen encasings on mattresses and pillows to decrease dust mites.
  • Wash linens in hot water.
  • Keep your bedroom uncluttered.
  • Close windows and use air conditioning as needed to control outdoor allergens.
  • Try to avoid being outdoors in the morning, since plants pollinate more during this time.
  • Take a shower after being outdoors.

As for treating the migraine attack itself, Dr. Strauss says “treating the attack with decongestants, antihistamines, and other allergy medicines typically won’t be as effective as a targeted migraine treatment.”

Doctors can recommend a number of medications that can stop migraine attacks when they occur. Prescription and over-the-counter medications, such as triptans, calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonists, anti-nausea medications, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can help.

It’s also important to speak with your doctor if you’re experiencing four or more migraine attacks per month. They can recommend preventive treatments to reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. Common migraine preventives include:

  • Blood pressure medications
  • Anti-seizure medications
  • Antidepressants
  • Botox
  • CGRP monoclonal antibodies
  • Neuromodulation devices

  • Supplements, such as magnesium, riboflavin, and CoQ10
  • Lifestyle and behavioral therapies

Most preventive treatments need to be taken for a certain amount of time to determine if they’re helping.

You can learn more about migraine treatments on Everyday Health’s network site, Migraine Again.

What Else Might Be Triggering Migraine Attacks?

It may be helpful to start a diary to identify what may be triggering your migraine attacks. Other common migraine triggers include:

  • Poor sleep
  • Dehydration
  • Skipped meals
  • Certain foods
  • Bright lights, loud noises, or strong odors
  • Increased stress or the sudden let down of stress
  • Hormonal fluctuations
  • Weather changes

Other conditions may be linked to migraine, too, including depression and insomnia. If you’re experiencing migraine attacks alongside other health concerns, tell your healthcare provider.

When to See a Doctor

If your allergy symptoms last more than a week or tend to follow a yearly pattern, reach out to your healthcare provider. They can refer you to an allergist for testing.

It’s important to talk with your doctor if you’re experiencing frequent or severe migraine attacks, particularly four or more attacks per month.

Strauss suggests maintaining a calendar and noting when you experience symptoms. This can help you see if there are certain months or seasons when migraine attacks become a problem. “What we want to avoid is spending years cycling through tons of allergy medicines if someone is having severe headaches,” Strauss says. “There are other medications we’d want to try.”

When taking medications for migraine, be mindful of how often you use them. Frequently treating with medication can lead to medication overuse headache, which is resistant to treatment.

The Takeaway

  • Migraine and allergies have a bidirectional relationship, which means having one can increase the chances of developing the other.
  • Allergies don’t cause migraine, but they can trigger migraine attacks in people who already have migraine.
  • Migraine attacks and headaches triggered or caused by allergies have similar symptoms, such as nasal congestion and facial pressure. They tend to affect the same area of the head, so it can be difficult to differentiate between the two.
  • To manage allergy-induced migraine attacks, reduce your exposure to allergens and talk with your healthcare provider about acute and preventive migraine treatment.

Common Questions & Answers

Can allergies cause migraine?
Allergies don’t cause migraine. But they can trigger migraine attacks by causing inflammation in people who are predisposed to the disease.
“Allergy migraine” isn’t a medical diagnosis, but it’s possible to experience allergies and a migraine attack at the same time. Migraine attacks typically resolve after 4 to 72 hours. They can also recur if you’re exposed to the allergen.
Antihistamine may help alleviate possible symptoms of migraine, such as a runny nose. But migraine attacks are best stopped with acute migraine treatments. These may include NSAIDs, triptans, anti-CGRP drugs, or neuromodulation devices.
Allergy-induced migraine attacks can be treated with prescription migraine medication or over-the-counter pain relievers. They can also be prevented by reducing exposure to allergens and using migraine preventive treatments, which include prescription, nonprescription, and behavioral approaches.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Allergies. Cleveland Clinic. December 21, 2022.
  2. Gupta J et al. Migraine: An Underestimated Neurological Condition Affecting Billions. Cureus. August 24, 2022.
  3. Ferretti A et al. Migraine, Allergy, and Histamine: Is There a Link? Journal of Clinical Medicine. May 19, 2023.
  4. Histamine. Cleveland Clinic. March 28, 2023.
  5. Trigeminal Nerve. Cleveland Clinic. July 22, 2024.
  6. Allergies and Migraine: How Do They Affect You. American Migraine Foundation. July 28, 2022.
  7. Sinus Infection (Sinusitis). Cleveland Clinic. July 22, 2024.
  8. Sinus Headaches. Cleveland Clinic. July 12, 2023.
  9. How to Know if You Have Migraine or Sinus Headache. American Migraine Foundation. September 20, 2023.
  10. Acute Treatment of Migraine in Adults Author: Schwedt TJ et al. Up to Date. 2022.
  11. Tzankova V et al. Pharmacologic Prevention of Migraine. CMAJ. February 6, 2023.
  12. Tiwari V et al. Migraine and Neuromodulation: A Literature Review. Cureus. November 7, 2022.
  13. Ailani J et al. The American Headache Society Consensus Statement: Update on integrating new migraine treatments into clinical practice. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. June 23, 2021.
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Jason Paul Chua, MD, PhD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Jason Chua, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology and Division of Movement Disorders at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He received his training at the University of Michigan, where he obtained medical and graduate degrees, then completed a residency in neurology and a combined clinical/research fellowship in movement disorders and neurodegeneration.

Dr. Chua’s primary research interests are in neurodegenerative disease, with a special focus on the cellular housekeeping pathway of autophagy and its impact on disease development in diseases such as Parkinson disease. His work has been supported by multiple research training and career development grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the American Academy of Neurology. He is the primary or coauthor of 14 peer-reviewed scientific publications and two peer-reviewed online learning modules from the American Academy of Neurology. He is also a contributing author to The Little Black Book of Neurology by Osama Zaldat, MD and Alan Lerner, MD, and has peer reviewed for the scientific journals Autophagy, eLife, and Neurobiology of Disease.

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Crystal Llamas

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Crystal Llamas is a freelance writer and editor who is passionate about migraine advocacy, mental health, and neuroinclusion. She received a bachelor's degree in biology and a minor in neuroscience from the University of San Francisco. In addition to Everyday Health, Crystal also contributes to Migraine Again. She previously wrote for the Migraine World Summit, and her work has been published in UK Fibromyalgia.

Crystal’s writing reflects her approach to life: Utilize pain as a source of creativity and an opportunity to deepen the connection to self and others. She values safety, self-awareness, boundaries, stimulating conversations, and fulfilling relationships.

Born and raised in San Bruno, California, Crystal grounds herself through gardening, forest bathing, hiking, and meditation. When she’s not writing, you can find her listening to music, playing the guitar, enjoying her backyard, or walking her dog, Sadie Rose.

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