SELF-MEDICATION is a common practice among Pinoys with simple cold, headache and body pains. Over-the-counter medicines are the immediate solution without any medical prescription.

As many find it easy to diagnose and treat their own medical situation, this simple self-help can sometimes aggravate  the situation.

The high cost of medical attention plus the hundreds of thousands of health information on the internet are the main reasons to take self-help these days. Unwittingly and not known to many, self-help can also mean medical mistakes.

A usual condition of self-medication is headache. Many believe it is a sinus headache, unknowingly it could be a migraine.

If one wrongly pegged the headache, they’re likely getting little medical relief. OTC sinus or pain drugs tend to be less effective for migraines than the prescripted one. This may lead to excessive use of pain relievers and rebound headaches.

Misdiagnosed migraine can be triggered by either weather or allergens. It's probably a migraine if your headache has at least two of these four traits: It's one-sided, it throbs, the pain is moderate to severe, and it gets worse with physical activity.

A migraine may also cause nausea or sensitivity to light or sound. A sinus infection typically includes thick green mucus, fever, or bad breath. Try to identify and avoid your migraine triggers; if you can't, ask your doctor about proper prescriptions or relevant drugs.