Why do I get a headache every time I fly?

Why do I get a headache every time I fly? Some studies suggest that the cabin pressure changes in the airplane, which are more pronounced during takeoff and landing, affects the head and sinuses in a way that triggers a headache. Another possible explanation for AHs is a fear of flying, which can cause stress and anxiety and subsequently trigger a headache.

What are headaches behind the eyes?

What Is a Headache Behind the Eyes? A headache behind your eyes can come with other symptoms. They can be a sign of a cluster headache, tension headache, or even sinus headaches that recur if you have allergies or sinus problems. When you feel stressed or tense, headache symptoms can arise.

Is airplane headache serious?

Interestingly, large systemic studies point to a surprisingly low association between AHs and other diagnoses, such as migraine headaches, tension headaches, and chronic sinus allergies. There is also no documented association between AHs and any adverse health risks. Some patients are especially prone to AH.

Why am I so sensitive to altitude?

The higher up you go, the thinner the atmosphere gets. That means breathing in the same amount of air gets you less oxygen than at a lower altitude. Altitude sickness happens when your body has trouble adjusting to the difference in how much oxygen you're getting with each breath.

What is thunderclap headache?

Thunderclap headaches are severe headaches coming on full force in less than a minute, lasting at least 5 minutes, and often appearing without any trigger. The pain may be felt anywhere in the head and may in some cases extend down the back of the neck.

Why do I get constant headaches when traveling?

A travel headache falls into the category of a secondary headache or a worsening of a different primary headache because it has a clear trigger, such as pressure or nerve disturbance from motion sickness. This can develop when a person travels by air, land, or water.

Is flying a migraine trigger?

Some people find flying triggers their migraine. This may be due to a number of factors, including the cabin pressure, dehydration and even stress. Changes in barometric pressure can trigger migraine, meanwhile, aeroplane cabins have very low humidity which can dehydrate you.

How do you treat a flight headache?

Take an Advil! A comprehensive look at all the literature on airplane headaches agreed that taking an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) can help relieve an airplane headache.

How rare is airplane headache?

The frequencies of AH-attacks are relatively high; 42 flight passengers experience AH in every flight travels and 39 flight passengers experience AH in more than 50% of the flight travels [4–6, 12, 19, 21, 27, 39, 40].

Does flying affect brain pressure?

It is not recommended to fly with acute intracranial hypertension because the conditions in the plane can worsen your condition and cause excruciating pain. If you have chronic or benign intracranial hypertension, you might be able to fly if your condition is under control.