Horner's Syndrome and Rebound Migraine Headache

Horner syndrome is a rare condition; it affects the nerves attached to the eyes and the face. It is rarely congenital, being most often caused by damage to the nerves. This damage can be caused by migraines. Rebound migraine headaches are migraine headaches that are caused by overuse of migraine medication.

Horner Syndrome

• Horner syndrome occurs when there is any blockage of the sympathetic nerve fibers, which connect to the two sides of the face. Horner syndrome causes reduced sweating on the affected side of the face, a small pupil in the eye, a sunken eyeball and drooping eyelid. There are many reasons why damage may occur to the sympathetic nerve fibers. One of these is migraine medication use.

Migraines

• The University of Maryland medical center states that migraine headaches are the type of headache most likely to cause a patient to seek medical help to relieve the symptoms. The causes of migraines are still under investigation by doctors, but an unidentified neurological condition is thought to be the cause.

  Migraines usually have four stages. In the first stage the patient may experience sensitivity to light and changes in their appetite. The second stage occurs in one of five migraine sufferers and is characterized by sensory disturbances. The third stage is the actual headache, which can last from four to 72 hours. The fourth stage is characterized by some mental fatigue and fogginess.

  Your doctor may prescribe triptans and ergotamines to be taken orally or by injection to treat migraine symptoms. Overuse of these, as well as other migraine medications, can cause rebound migraine headaches and Horner syndrome.

Rebound Migraine Headaches

• Almost all medications used to treat migraines can cause rebound headaches. To try to avoid rebound headaches, no migraine medications should be taken for more than nine days in a row. A rebound migraine headache is simply a headache caused by medication, it does not involve the other symptoms of migraine headaches. However, if damage has occurred to the sympathetic nerve fibers due to the migraine medication, a rebound headache may be accompanied by the symptoms of Horner syndrome.

Treatments

• There is no direct cure for Horner syndrome. However, if the cause of the condition can be determined and treated it can relieve the symptoms. An accompanying rebound migraine may indicate that migraine medication is responsible for the condition. In this case, the ceasing to take the offending medication should resolve the rebound headache and the Horner syndrome, though the latter may take longer to go away as the damaged nerve fibers need to heal.

Considerations

• If you experience any of the symptoms of Horner syndrome or rebound migraine headaches you should consult your doctor immediately. Any nerve damage can have serious consequences if left untreated.