Headache with a cold

Introduction

Headache with a cold is a very common symptom. In addition to the other classic symptoms of fever, aching limbs, rhinitis and sore throat, it is often the headache that can be particularly distressing. However, the real “cold headache” does not seem to exist, it is rather a “symptom of a symptom”, for example the consequence of swollen mucous membranes and accumulation of mucus in the paranasal sinuses (sinusitis), which can develop from a blocked, runny nose. Presumably, however, certain messenger substances, which are increasingly released in the body during a cold, can also cause headaches.

Why do colds and headaches occur so often together?

Why it is usually the case that a cold is accompanied by headaches is still not fully understood. In most cases, it is assumed that the headache is not a direct reaction to the viral or bacterial infection, but rather a “symptom of the symptom”: a flu-like infection often leads to a rhinitis in which the nose and often also the paranasal sinuses become blocked. The reason for this is the swelling of the nasal and paranasal sinus mucosa as part of an inflammatory reaction (rhinitis, sinusitis).

This not only leads to an increased production of secretion, but also to a reduced outflow of it, so that the pressure in the paranasal sinuses increases. These altered pressure conditions eventually lead to the perception of headache. Another, or perhaps an additional approach is that when a cold occurs during the immune defence, an increased amount of messenger substances (cytokines) are released to which the body reacts with headache.

Cause of headaches

As described above, the most common cause of headache during a cold is inflammation of the sinuses (sinusitis). The swelling of the paranasal sinus mucous membranes together with the increased secretion production and the more or less poor drainage of the secretion, eventually lead to an increase in pressure in the airways and thus to headaches. Depending on which paranasal sinuses are affected, the location of the headache can also vary.

Another reason is the release of messenger substances by the immune system during the defence against pathogens, to which the body reacts with headaches. If fatigue and listlessness occur more often when you have a cold, so that you lie and rest more than usual, very simple tension and neck pain can also trigger headaches. It is not uncommon for sinusitis to develop during a cold.

One or more paranasal sinuses can be affected, but most often the maxillary sinuses and ethmoid cells (more rarely the frontal sinuses and sphenoidal sinuses) are inflamed. The headache is mainly centered in the area of the affected paranasal sinus, and palpation with light pressure over the respective paranasal sinus can also be painful. Sinusitis usually ends when the cold has passed, in some cases it lasts a few days longer than the cold symptoms. It rarely takes a chronic course.