Causes and treatment of headache with a runny nose

Many people have regular headaches when they have a runny nose. Such a symptom may be particularly strong. Such pain is very difficult to endure, so people resort to the use of drugs that reduce pain syndromes.

The presence of migraine in combination with nasal congestion brings a lot of discomfort to the life of a person who is ill, mood, performance decrease, and a depressive state develops. In our article, we will talk about why pain appears and how to deal with it.

Causes of pain

Why does my head hurt when I have a cold? This condition indicates that you have increased intracranial pressure. Its increase is due to the fact that the inflammatory process begins in the area of ​​​​the mucous membranes of the nasal sinuses. Which may be accompanied by fever and is a frequent companion of a cold in adults.

Headache with rhinitis often depends on the state of the body. If intoxication has occurred with the products of the activity of harmful bacteria, then there is a possibility that the patient will be diagnosed with a complex disease of the respiratory system.

And if the head hurts with a runny nose and this is the only symptom, then most likely we are talking about stuffy sinuses or sinusitis.

If the patient has not only a severe headache, but also nausea with vomiting, then meningitis is suspected.

And if the disease is accompanied by fever and general weakness is felt, then it is necessary to immediately treat the disease in a hospital.

It is worth noting that many people believe that if your head hurts from a cold, then this is equated to a normal state. They are partly right, but in any case, it is worth paying attention to the nuances of each pain: the duration, whether it intensifies, hurts a lot or not.

What diseases cause pain

What to do when your head hurts badly from snot? The power and nature of the pain syndrome may differ and depend on what was the provocateur of the disease. Runny nose, headache, sneezing are signs of complex diseases of the nasopharynx.

If we are talking about sinusitis, then a runny nose and headache are constant companions of the disease.

This is due to the fact that the pressure in the forehead increases due to the completely clogged paranasal sinuses with mucus clots. The pain is characterized as squeezing, extending over the entire head.

There is pain in the forehead, cheekbones and even the bridge of the nose (and sometimes the throat) hurt. In addition to a runny nose and migraine, you can observe the presence of swelling on the face. When the head is tilted, the attacks of pain increase, the same thing happens after a sneeze occurs. Sometimes the eyelids swell from above.

When ethmoiditis develops, the inflammation process is located directly in the ethmoid labyrinth of the nasal cavity. Pain with a runny nose of this type can be eliminated with the help of painkillers, however, after a while they will return.

The pain radiates to the bridge of the nose and is characterized as burning, especially near the ears and eyes. With a symptom such as sneezing, the pain can also increase.

With sphenoiditis, there is a sharp pain in the back of the head. It is characterized as splitting, there is a feeling that the head is torn apart.

Can pain radiate to the eyes? Yes maybe. With an exacerbation of the disease, the pain may affect the quality of the patient's vision, it becomes less acute.

If the pathology is accompanied by otitis, then the painful sensation is located near the ear, sometimes the throat begins to hurt. The pain is very difficult to eliminate even with the help of medications.

If during a runny nose the forehead, the back of the head hurts, and the pain syndrome spreads with great speed throughout the head, is very intense and is not stopped by drugs, then most likely we are talking about meningitis.

The nature of the pain

If you have a stuffy nose, then your head will hurt almost every time. This is the norm and does not always mean that you have serious pathologies. Pain needs to be monitored.

If it has a calm character and decreases after blowing your nose or after taking special medications, then there is no significant reason for concern. But if a head hurts after a runny nose, then you should consult a doctor, since such a symptom may not be interconnected with nasal congestion.

Headache is a consequence of viruses entering the human body. Viruses begin to actively spread if you do not start treating a cold immediately.

However, some cases in which the frontal part of the head hurts indicate that the patient has more serious diseases than a simple SARS. Provocative symptoms may occur, for example, after hypothermia.

First, the pain covers the entire head, then it is located only in one area: the forehead, the back of the head. The stronger the problem with breathing through the nose, the stronger the pain will manifest itself. Apogee will be felt in the morning, especially if there is a cough or sneezing begins.

During the day, the pain becomes brighter when turning the head. Sometimes the completely continuous pain with a runny nose is disturbing, which is characterized as sinusitis.

During a cold, you just need to rinse your nose to get rid of mucus. In addition, it is necessary to gargle to remove infections that have rolled down the walls and entered the respiratory tract. Symptoms can be relieved with medication.

If the pain in the head lasts for a long time, is not treated and is not stopped by medicines, then you should seek help from a qualified specialist.

Is there such a cold that is not accompanied by pain in the head? It happens. But for this it is necessary to make a lot of efforts to provide immediate and high-quality treatment of ARVI. The patient must impeccably follow all the doctor's instructions and follow the preventive rules.

Often the pain in the head is due to fever, as the heat accelerates the rate of heartbeat, which leads to increased pressure in the arteries and inside the skull.

It is worth noting that you should not use antipyretic drugs if your body temperature does not rise above +38 C, as the body must learn to fight cold pathogens on its own. In such situations, it is possible to relieve symptoms with the help of home medicine techniques in order to improve the general condition.

If your forehead hurts with rhinitis, then you should pay attention to the daily routine. Sometimes pain in the head during a runny nose suggests that the patient neglects the advice of a doctor and does not comply with bed rest, has little rest.

During a cold, the human body begins to work very intensively in order to get rid of the harmful microflora.

At such a time, it is very important to provide the patient with a sufficient amount of rest so that his body is not loaded with additional physical activities. Often, pain in the head during SARS appears due to improper treatment or because of a runny nose that has not been cured.

Medication treatment

We consider it necessary to remind you that treatment with medications should be prescribed by a qualified specialist, based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient. To begin with, it is worth determining the causes of the disease.

If we are talking about infection, then we must start with measures aimed at eliminating it.

If the disease caused by the infection is severe, accompanied by severe pain in the head and swelling, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics or antiviral agents. When it comes to getting bacteria into the body, the course of drugs must be drunk completely in order to completely stop the process of reproduction of harmful organisms and speed up the healing process.

Among the drugs of the antiviral group, there are:

  • Ergoferon;
  • Anaferon;
  • Kagocel;
  • Arbidol.

Each drug has its own way of influencing the human body. Some are responsible for stopping the development of bacteria and eliminate them, others trigger immunity and allow interferon to be produced more actively. This determines that the appointment of the remedy should be done by the doctor.

Among the painkillers with a strong effect, there are:

  • took;
  • Solpadein;
  • Pentalgin.

It is worth noting that such funds should not be taken for a long time, as they are prescribed for quick relief of pain.

With sinusitis, local drugs are prescribed:

  • Aquamaris (for washing the nose, clears the sinuses, eliminates sneezing and runny nose);
  • Isofra.

It is forbidden to prescribe drugs on your own!

How to relieve pain on your own

What to do in order to relieve pain while waiting for medical help, because it is not always possible to get to the doctor immediately? There is a huge mass of methods of traditional medicine in order to relieve pain in the head. We will highlight the most effective and safe ways to help alleviate your condition:

Anoint temples, forehead and ears with menthol oil. Take a decoction of peppermint three times a day and gargle with it. Instead of menthol oil, you can use lemon juice for lubrication.

Such methods of struggle are not a method of treatment and help only slightly reduce the symptoms of the disease.

Now you know what causes a headache with a runny nose and how to deal with this condition. Do not forget that any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Therefore, remember about preventive measures, and at the first symptoms of the disease, consult a doctor.