"ice pick headaches?"

[Klomac]

I am no stranger to headaches and do get migraines in the back of my head occassionaly.  Lately I have been having a very sharp pain above my right temple that last justs a second or two, then goes away.  I did some research and found something called "ice pick headaches."  Several people said they have them prior to a migraine, but I haven't necessarily been able to make that connection.  I wonder if they could be be tied to my current seasonal allergies?  After reading articles from people having the same type of pain I was no longer worried, but they have been occurring more frequently in the last few weeks.  Any suggestions or insight?

Thanks!

[noops01]

Hi,
Icepick headaches occur in about 40% of migraineurs, although they usually occur by themselves rather than a migraine attack maybe thats why you have not been able to make a connection between the two. Yes they can occur many times during the day. Headache due to allergy is mostly a dull headache accompanied with runny nose, itching and weepy eyes. Indomethacin which is an NSAID is usually given to prevent icepick headaches.

[bhumi123]

Hi,
Ice pick headches are sudden short lasting (30sec) bursts of headache that disappear even before the patient realises their onset. In your case the history of seasonal allergies is important and you need to get an ENT evaluation done for any blocked sinuses or sinusitis that could be the cause of the chronic headaches that you have. Also you need to visit the ophthalmologist to rule out any visual disturbances that could cause the headaches. OTC painkillers like indomethacin usually help in most cases. You should also try to avoid smoking/ alcohol/ strong light/ loud music and other stress precipitating factors.