Migraines, Heart Disease, & Sleep Apnea

August 26, 2010

One of the most common conditions that I see in my ENT practice is migraines. Not your typical classic migraine with the auras, light sensitivity and nausea, but the variations of migraine that involve the ears and sinuses. In fact, the vast majority of people who suffer from sinus pain and headaches are found to have migraines—if you perform CT scans, the sinuses will be completely normal. However, patients usually won’t believe me until they see the CT images, and after they respond to anti-migraine treatments.

In an often repeated study on migraines, researchers showed again that having migraines is linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and even death.

These results are not surprising, since obstructive sleep apnea is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease and increased risk of death (46% in people with severe sleep apnea). Poor sleep quality that results leads to hypersensitivity of various nerve endings. If it happens in your sinuses, you’ll feel pain, pressure, headaches, nasal congestion and post-nasal drip. If in your ears, hearing loss, ringing, dizziness, fullness and sensitivity.

Having a migraine is not normal. If you suffer from migraines, it’s you’re body’s way of telling you that something is wrong, that you’re not getting quality deep sleep.

Do you suffer from migraines? If so, do your parents have heart disease or died early from cardiovascular complications? Is like to hear your response in the response box below.

Written by Steven Park · Filed Under Blog | 2 Comments 

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