Anxiety headaches daily
The Link Between Anxiety & Headaches Explained
Written by William Moore
In this Article
- What Is an Anxiety Headache?
- Anxiety Headache Causes
- Types of Anxiety Headaches
- Anxiety Headache Symptoms
- Treatment for Anxiety Headaches
- Anxiety Headache Prevention
What Is an Anxiety Headache?
Anxiety headaches happen along with a feeling of anxiety. Having a headache may make you anxious. Or a headache can be a physical symptom of your anxiety.
Doctors believe the two can be linked, but they don’t understand exactly how.
It may have to do with how the brain works. The cells in your brain that control mood, sleep, and pain use a chemical called serotonin to send messages to each other. When people get migraines, these cells get much more active than normal. That changes your serotonin levels, which may lead to anxiety.
As doctors learn more about how headaches and anxiety affect each other, they can offer better treatments for both. Make sure to tell your doctor about both conditions so you can get the care you need.
Anxiety Headache Causes
Does anxiety cause headaches, or is it the other way around? The answer's not so simple.
Headaches are a common symptom of different types of anxiety, like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). That's a condition where you constantly worry and find it really hard to control your anxiety. Headaches are one of the signs doctors look for when they check for GAD.
Often, though, it's not clear how to tease apart cause and effect when it comes to anxiety and headaches. It may be that if you're someone who's more likely to get one of those problems, your chances go up that you'll get the other. For example:
- Some folks have a history of migraines before they have GAD or other anxiety issues. Others have anxiety first and develop migraines later.
- People with migraines are more likely to have anxiety and depression. When you have all three, it usually starts with anxiety, then migraines kick in, and then depression shows up.
- For people who don't typically get as many headaches, anxiety increases the odds of getting them more often.
Things that may contribute to anxiety headaches include:
- Stress
- High sensitivity to pain
- Muscle tension
- Lack of sleep
- Low serotonin levels
- General anxiety disorder
Types of Anxiety Headaches
Doctors don't have a separate name for a stress or anxiety headache. But the most common types of headaches all have a link to anxiety.
Tension headaches. Almost everyone gets one at some point. When you hear people say they have a headache, it's usually this kind. Typically they're not too painful.
Tension doesn't mean stress in this case, but refers to how the headache feels, which may be like a tight band around your head. It can be triggered by anxiety, but it's not clear why this happens.
Migraines. These are more severe headaches that can cause painful pounding or throbbing.
They can last for hours or even days. Besides pain, migraines can also make you vomit and feel sensitive to light and noise. They're very common in people who have anxiety disorders.
Cluster headaches. They aren't as common as the other two. They're very intense and tend to give you a burning or piercing pain, usually behind the eyes.
They're called cluster headaches because of how they happen. You might get them a few times a day for a few weeks or months, and then they just go away. They may not come back for months or years.
People with cluster headaches are more likely to have anxiety -- typically in the months of downtime between bouts of headaches. Doctors aren't sure how cluster headaches and anxiety are connected or which one causes the other.
Anxiety Headache Symptoms
Your pain and other signs may differ, depending on which type of anxiety headache you have.
Tension headaches:
- Mild or moderate pain on either side of your head
- Pain can last hours or days
- Headache doesn’t get worse with physical activity
Migraine headaches:
- Sharp and intense throbbing pain
- Often happens with nausea and sensitivity to light
- Pain may be just on one side, and may be focused on the eye, the back of the head, and other areas
- Headache can last a day or longer
Cluster headaches:
- Extremely severe pain
- Each attack can last 15 minutes to several hours.
You can get multiple attacks a day. - Watery eyes
- Runny nose
- Sweaty face
Treatment for Anxiety Headaches
The first thing to do, if you haven't already, is talk to your doctor. They’ll likely ask about your symptoms and health history. Try to give as much detail about your symptoms as you can.
Your doctor may suggest:
Medicine. Some drugs for anxiety, such as anxiolytics, tricyclic antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), can also treat headaches. If they don't work for you, you may need more than one drug.
You'll have regular checkups to see how well the medicine works for you and to make sure your headaches don't get any worse.
Therapy.
You might also get different types of therapy to help with anxiety issues. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be particularly effective for people with anxiety and migraines. It helps you become more aware of your thoughts and behaviors so you can change them to lessen your worry and anxiety.
You can often see results within a few months.
Pain relievers. You can start with over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen. Prescription drugs called triptans may help if you have both migraines and tension headaches.
Muscle relaxants.Tizanidine (Zanaflex) may help prevent some tension headaches.
Alternative remedies
Certain non-medication treatments may help, too.
Biofeedback. You use a machine that relays electrical signals to help you control your muscle movements and breathing to help you relax.
Heating pads. Putting them on your shoulders and neck may help ease tension and keep the headache away.
Acupuncture. Studies suggest that this needle-based therapy can cut the number of headache days as well as make them hurt less.
Often, a combination of therapy and drugs is better than just taking medicine. No matter what treatments you choose, it's important to get care for both headaches and anxiety.
Anxiety Headache Prevention
Lifestyle changes and paying attention to your headache triggers can help avoid them before they start.
- Manage your stress.
- Track your triggers.
- Do exercises that get your heart beating fast.
- Get enough sleep.
- Practice good posture.
Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and Prevention
Anxiety is known to cause excessive worrying, irritability, and restlessness. But it can also cause physical symptoms like upset stomach, fatigue, and shallow breathing.
Anxiety headaches are another common physical symptom.
If you’re stressed or worried about something, you may have tension headaches. Experiencing severe or frequent headaches can also worsen the symptoms of anxiety.
According to the American Migraine Foundation, nearly half of all Americans living with migraine also have anxiety. Research also suggests that people who have migraine attacks may be up to five times more likely to have anxiety than people who don’t.
Read on to learn more about symptoms, causes, and treatment for anxiety headaches.
Many people living with an anxiety disorder also experience either migraine or chronic tension headaches. The symptoms you experience depend on the type of headache you have.
Tension headaches
These headaches commonly develop with stress and anxiety, though they can have other triggers.
tension headache SYMPTOMS
- mild to moderate dull or aching pain
- pressure behind your eyes
- pressure that feels like a band around your head
- tightness in your neck and shoulder muscles
- scalp tenderness
Tension headaches might improve fairly quickly, but they may persist for several hours or days. They aren’t always severe enough to affect your daily life, but can still have a negative impact on quality of life.
Migraine headaches
Migraine can also be associated with anxiety. It’s not always easy to tell if you’re experiencing a migraine or tension headache, especially if you get both types of headaches.
migraine symptoms
- pain that feels like a throb or pulsation
- pain on one side of your face or head
- tingling in your face, arm, or leg on one side
- seeing spots or flashing lights
- increased sensitivity to sound, light, or strong odors
- nausea and vomiting
- feeling lightheaded or fainting
- blurry vision
Without medication or other treatment, a migraine attack can last for days. The pain can become so severe that it prevents you from your usual activities. Movement or physical activity can make you feel worse.
Experts aren’t certain exactly what causes tension headaches, though there are some common triggers.
Stress
Research points to stress as a common trigger. Headaches that occur with anxiety can happen as a physical response to the emotional distress you’re experiencing.
Sensitivity to pain
It’s also believed that people who regularly get headaches may be more sensitive to pain.
This sensitivity can lead to more tenderness in your muscles.
Muscle tension
Muscle tension is one aspect of anxiety. When you feel anxious, your body responds, preparing to deal with the source of your worry.
With long-term anxiety, your body tends to stay in a state of increased alert. The tension in your muscles remains, instead of relaxing normally after the threat subsides. This contributes to headaches.
Lack of sleep
Many people with anxiety have difficulty sleeping. This is another common trigger for migraine attacks.
Serotonin levels
Changing serotonin levels in the brain may also play a role in migraine headaches. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that has many important roles in your body.
Having too much or too little serotonin in your brain can affect physical and mental health. Sudden decreases in brain serotonin levels may cause headaches through the release of neuropeptides or constricted blood vessels.
It may not be possible to entirely prevent headaches, but there are some steps you can take to help decrease the frequency and severity of headaches.
Recognize your triggers
If you get migraine headaches, knowing what triggers them can help. Common migraine triggers include:
- stress
- insufficient or low-quality sleep
- hormonal changes
- caffeine
- alcohol
Practice relaxation
Making time in your day for relaxation can help reduce anxiety symptoms.
Physical exercises that can help you relax include yoga, tai chi, and deep breathing techniques. Massage and heat therapy may also be beneficial.
You can also practice mindfulness exercises like meditation, progressive relaxation therapy, and guided imagery.
Practice self-care
Anxiety can affect your sleep, your appetite, and your overall health. Practicing self-care can help reduce anxiety symptoms, including headaches.
- Try to get between seven and nine hours of restful sleep each night.
- Make time for regular physical activity. Even a 10-minute walk each day can help.
- Make sure you’re getting enough water, from foods or liquids, to avoid dehydration.
- Avoid skipping meals. Eat nutritious meals at regular times as much as possible. Some people living with migraine find a migraine diet can help decrease headaches.
- When headaches or anxiety are severe enough to affect daily life, see a doctor or therapist.
There are a variety of treatments for anxiety headaches, depending on the type and severity of headache you’re experiencing.
Some treatments focus on pain relief, while others focus on treating the underlying causes of anxiety.
Pain-relieving medication
You can treat occasional tension headaches with over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription pain-relief medications.
Common OTC medications include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen (Aleve). For mild to moderate migraine, drugs that combine pain relief with caffeine, such as Excedrin Migraine, may also help.
Triptans are prescription drugs that can treat both migraine and tension headaches. These drugs increase serotonin levels in your brain, reducing inflammation and constricting blood vessels.
Triptans include almotriptan (Axert), eletriptan (Relpax), sumatriptan (Imitrex).
However, using pain relieving medicines to treat headaches consistently can often contribute to medication overuse headaches. Overusing medication, or taking higher doses than recommended, can also cause serious side effects.
Anti-anxiety medication
If over-the-counter medications don’t work well for your pain, you may want to talk to your doctor about different treatment approaches.
In some cases, a family doctor or psychiatrist may prescribe other medications, including anti-anxiety medications or muscle relaxers, to help decrease the frequency of severe, persistent headaches.
Alternative remedies
You can also try using ice or cold compresses to soothe the painful spot on your head, resting in a dark room, or both.
Other potentially helpful migraine treatment approaches include:
- Acupuncture. Acupuncture involves thin needles inserted at various points in your body.
The goal of this treatment is to address the energy imbalances and blockages in your body believed to be causing pain or distress. - Biofeedback. This approach to relaxation may help reduce pain and headache frequency. Biofeedback helps you learn, through electrodes on your skin, to recognize when you’re becoming stressed so you can relax areas of tension and control your response.
Talk therapy
If you’re dealing with anxiety headaches, the best way to treat them may be to get help for anxiety.
Therapy for anxiety can not only improve mental health symptoms, but it can also help reduce physical symptoms such as headache.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common type of therapy used to treat anxiety. This approach helps you learn to identify and challenge negative and distressing thought patterns.
If you’re working with a therapist, make sure to mention your frequent headaches, along with other physical symptoms you’ve experienced, even if they don’t seem to relate to anxiety.
Anxiety headaches aren’t always serious, but regular or severe headaches can make your daily life difficult.
Treating anxiety headaches involves understanding why you experience them. They may often relate to periods of high anxiety or stress.
As with migraine attacks, identifying what triggers your tension headaches can help you avoid specific situations or work to control your stress response if you can’t avoid them.
It’s important to see your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of migraine or experience headaches severe enough to affect your daily life.
In general, getting help for anxiety may be the key to improvement. A therapist can help you learn to cope with anxiety’s effects and reduce the impact of worry and other negative thoughts.
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IMPORTANT!
The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, only the attending physician should prescribe diagnostic tests. For diagnosis and proper treatment, you should contact your doctor.
Headache - the causes of the appearance, in which diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment.
Headache is based on irritation of pain receptors located in:
- dura mater and brain vessels;
- periosteum of the skull, vessels of the soft tissues of the head, muscles.
The brain tissue itself does not contain pain receptors.
Types of headaches (cephalgia)
Headaches are divided into primary and secondary. Headache is considered primary if it is the main manifestation of brain disease, such as migraine and tension-type headache.
Secondary headache is a symptom of other disorders, such as head trauma, chronic cerebral ischemia, viral diseases, diseases of the cervical spine, etc.
Let's take a look at the four most common types of headaches.
Possible causes
Tension headache
Tension headache is the most common form of primary headache. Psycho-emotional stress, depression, anxiety and various phobias, overstrain of the muscles of the shoulder girdle are the main causes of tension headaches.
Migraine headache
Migraine occurs in women about three times more often than in men, and about 60-70% of all cases of migraine in women are the so-called menstrual migraine. However, the causes and mechanism of development of migraine attacks are not fully understood. At any age, both in men and women, migraine attacks can be provoked by emotional and physical overload, malnutrition, drinking alcohol, changing weather conditions, harsh noise, strong odors, etc.
Headache with colds
Headache with colds is caused by hyperthermia and the damaging effect of microbial toxins on brain cells.
Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia
The cause of this pain, which is the most common secondary headache in elderly patients, is the pathology of the cerebral vessels, in which blood circulation is disturbed and the blood supply to the brain tissues deteriorates.
The result is progressive brain dysfunction.
What diseases occur
Tension headache
Tension headache is based on irritation of the structures of the central nervous system (CNS), called the nociceptive system. Myogenic, stress, psychogenic headaches are tension headaches.
Most often, tension headache occurs at a young and working age.
In cases of tension headache, the person experiences bilateral, usually mild, pressing and squeezing, monotonous and dull headaches. Attacks of such pain are accompanied by fatigue, nervousness, impaired appetite and sleep, and decreased performance.
The duration of the attack is from 30 minutes to several days.
Migraine headache
Indicates only one disease - migraine, since the attacks of such cephalalgia have a peculiar character. Migraine pain is paroxysmal, throbbing, of moderate or severe intensity. It covers half of the head.
The pain may be aggravated by physical activity, tilting the head, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting.
Bright light, sharp sound, strong smell increase the pain. A migraine attack may be preceded by an aura lasting up to one hour - a collection of visual, auditory, olfactory or other neurological symptoms.
Headache associated with colds Occurs with most acute and chronic diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract caused by bacteria or viruses. In some cases, the intensity of such cephalgia correlates with the severity of fever, the strength of the cough, sore throat and other symptoms.
The pain most often spreads throughout the head.
Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia
brain injury). In the clinical picture of chronic cerebral ischemia, dizziness, cognitive decline, emotional lability (unstable mood), motor-coordination disorders, and perception disorders (tinnitus, “flies” before the eyes) become indispensable companions of headaches. Headaches are usually mild, distributed throughout the head, and prolonged.
Diagnostics and examinations
Tension headache and migraine headache, headache with colds
Diagnosis is made by a neurologist based on the patient's history and evaluation of complaints.
Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia
Radiation examination (doppler ultrasound of cerebral vessels) is the key in chronic cerebral ischemia
Ultrasound of the brachiocephalic vessels (extracranial vessels leading to the brain)
Test to evaluate blood flow in the vertebral and carotid arteries.
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USG recognizes only relatively large stenoses of cerebral vessels caused by atherosclerotic plaques. CT
CT of the brain and skull
Scanning of the brain, skull and surrounding tissues, which allows diagnosing various pathologies.
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and MRI
CT scan of the brain and skull
Scanning of the brain, skull and surrounding tissues, which allows diagnosing various pathologies.
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Contrast injection
The contrast agent is administered intravenously.
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MRI of the brain
Safe and informative scanning of brain structures for the diagnosis of its pathologies.
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also distinguish between extensive brain lesions due to strokes, but not finely diffuse foci characteristic of chronic cerebral ischemia. In chronic cerebral ischemia, conservative treatment is prescribed.
What should you do when you see one?
Pain is always a sign of a malfunction in the body. You can not tolerate pain or self-medicate. With regular headaches (more than five times a month), it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Tension headache
Stop a pain attack with analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antispasmodics.
It is important to remember that many analgesics cannot be taken in the presence of chronic diseases (in particular, with lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys). Indications and contraindications for the use of certain drugs should be discussed with your doctor.
Migraine headache
Patients with mild attacks are recommended to use NSAIDs and analgesics, with moderate and severe manifestations - specific anti-migraine drugs, which are prescribed by a neurologist after a comprehensive examination.
Cold headache
The main way to deal with such pain is to treat a cold.
Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia
An important aspect of therapy is the fight against atherosclerotic changes in the vessels and cerebral ischemia. It is also necessary to monitor the manifestations of concomitant diseases, for example, arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
Which doctors should I contact?
Tension headache:
- neurologist, psychotherapist;
- see a neurologist, therapist
- k therapist, ENT doctor;
- k neurologist, and cardiologist and endocrinologist.
Mandatory control of diseases included in the metabolic syndrome group: type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM 2), hypertension, obesity and atherosclerosis.
Treatment
Tension headache
Most patients with tension headache require therapy prescribed by a psychotherapist and a neurologist. It is also important to pay attention to relaxation and adequate physical activity.
Migraine headache
Treatment includes relief and prevention of attacks.
Headache with colds
Therapy is aimed at treating the underlying disease.
Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia
As a rule, most patients suffer from several diseases, each of which negatively affects the state of cerebral vessels. Thus, the most reliable way to stop the progression of chronic cerebral ischemia is to prevent complications of diseases that are part of the metabolic syndrome group (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, etc.
), which are dangerous in terms of worsening cerebral blood flow.
It is important to give up bad habits (smoking, alcohol abuse, drug use) and follow a diet that includes a large amount of fresh fruits and vegetables and a minimum amount of trans fats.
If chronic ischemia is accompanied by hypertension or diabetes mellitus, daily monitoring of blood pressure and blood glucose levels is advisable. It is necessary to undergo laboratory and instrumental examinations with a certain frequency. You should visit a cardiologist and an endocrinologist at least once a year.
Once every three months, you should take a clinical
Clinical blood test: general analysis, leukoformula, ESR (with microscopy of a blood smear in the presence of pathological changes)
Synonyms: Complete blood count, UAC. Full blood count, FBC, Complete blood count (CBC) with differential white blood cell count (CBC with diff), Hemogram.
Brief description of the study Clinical blood test: general...
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and blood chemistry,
Blood chemistry: minimal profile
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in which attention to the level of glucose
Glucose (in the blood) (Glucose)
Research material Serum or blood plasma.
If it is not possible to centrifuge the sample 30 minutes after collection for serum/plasma separation...
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glycated hemoglobin,
Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1С, Glycated Hemoglobin)
Synonyms: Blood test for glycated hemoglobin. Glycohemoglobin; HbA1c; Hemoglobin A1c; A1c; HgbA1c; Hb1c. Brief characteristics of the analyte Glycated hemo...
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lipid metabolism indicators
Lipid profile: extended
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and blood coagulation system,
Hemostasiogram (coagulogram), screening
Synonyms: Hemostasiogram, coagulogram.
Coagulation studies (coagulation profile, coag panel, coagulogram). Brief description of the study "Hemostasiogram (coagulogram), script...
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it is also necessary to undergo an electrocardiographic study (ECG),
ECG in 5 minutes
Examination of the functional capabilities of the heart - quickly, painlessly and informatively.
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Echocardiography.
Echocardiography
Examination to assess functional and organic changes in the heart, its contractility, as well as the state of the valvular apparatus.
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If abnormalities occur, you may need to take antidiabetic drugs, statins, or anticoagulants. Ultrasound should be performed at least twice a year
Ultrasound of the brachiocephalic vessels (extracranial vessels leading to the brain)
Test to evaluate blood flow in the vertebral and carotid arteries.
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to control the progression of atherosclerosis of cerebral and aortic vessels.
Sources:
- Clinical guidelines "Migraine". Developed by: All-Russian Society of Neurologists, Russian Society for the Study of Headache. – 2021.
- Clinical guidelines "Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) in adults.
" Developed by: National Scientific Society of Infectionists, Russian Scientific Medical Society of Therapists. – 2021.
IMPORTANT!
The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, only the attending physician should prescribe diagnostic tests. For diagnosis and proper treatment, you should contact your doctor.
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Headaches -
Headaches -Migraine
About 20% of all headaches are caused by migraines.
In 75% of cases, migraine manifests itself as a sudden onset of intense, unilateral, capable of lasting for about several hours, paroxysmal headache of a throbbing and recurring nature, which is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and the intensity of which increases as the head moves. Migraine is a dominantly inherited predisposition. It is 3 times more common in women than in men. In addition, it mainly begins to manifest itself in young and middle age, and shows a decrease in old age.
Typically caused by migraine, headaches last from 4 to 72 hours and increase in intensity with exercise. Patients suffering from migraine often present with disorders such as depression, anxiety and panic disorders. In migraine-sensitive patients, various factors can cause headaches. Some of the most common factors include certain foods and additives (wine, chocolate, caffeine, cheese), fasting or skipping meals, excessive or insufficient sleep, strong odors, changes in atmospheric pressure, intense light changes (bright flashing), psychological disorders, hormonal changes, menstrual bleeding, medications, and exercise.
In about 15% of cases, migraine headache is accompanied by one of the most excruciating phases, called aura, which is a harbinger of migraine, followed by neurological symptoms that last no more than 1 hour. Most often, during the aura, visual disturbances such as the appearance of blind spots, flashes of light or zigzags can be observed, less often there are tingling or numbness in the fingertips, there are difficulty in speech or difficulty in choosing words, hallucinations and other visual disturbances. Paresthesias are the second most common type of aura. With such manifestations, a numbness similar to "crawling" occurs, which unilaterally begins at the fingertips and spreads to the arm and shoulder area, reaches the face, nose and mouth. In addition, although rarely, such symptoms as with an aura can also be observed: impaired speech, hearing and smell, dizziness and hallucinations. Headache usually begins within 5-30 minutes immediately after the onset of the aura.
Symptoms of classic migraine include loss of vision, weakness, sensory disturbances, and headache lasting for several minutes.
The duration of attacks in classic migraine can be several hours, in common migraine this duration can take several days. Pain may be accompanied by increased sensitivity and anxiety to light and sound. At the same time, symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea may appear in other parts of the body.
The treatment of migraine, along with medication, also includes the elimination of factors that can cause it. Meanwhile, if migraine pain attacks are observed more than 3 times a month, while their intensity is strong enough and causes neurological disorders and certain inconveniences in everyday life, preventive treatment should be added to the existing treatment.
Cluster headache
Arising spontaneously and irregularly, cluster headaches are a pronounced pain syndrome in the areas of the projection of the brain on the walls of the cranium. The causes of this type of headache are still unknown. The intensity of the pain is very high and on average can last for 30 minutes.
Most often, pain occurs around the eyes, in the temporal region, behind the ears and around the proximal molars of the lower jaw. The pain usually comes on at night and causes sleep disturbance. The strength of the pain is so great that it can lead to suicide attempts in order to get rid of pain. Vegetative symptoms that characterize cluster headache include hemorrhage of the eyeballs, lacrimation, nasal congestion, runny nose, sweating of the forehead and face, drooping of the eyelids, pupil diminution, and swelling of the eyelids. Unlike patients with migraine, patients with cluster pain prefer to be in well-lit rooms, go outside and take walks instead of being in a dark room. The duration of periods of cluster headache may vary in each patient in different ways. More often they last for 2-3 months. A completely painless, calm period lasts for 6 months to 1 year. Painful periods occur almost every day, sometimes several bouts of pain can occur per day. In 4% of cases, the pain may be bilateral.
