Can anxiety cause headaches and eye pain
Anxiety And Eye Pain - AnxietyCentre.com
Last updated February 26, 2022
Eye pain, pain in the eye or eyes, dull aches in the eyes, eye strain, and sharp shooting eye pains can be symptoms of anxiety disorder, including anxiety and panic attacks.
This article explains the relationship between anxiety and eye pain, including sharp pains in the eyes, tired eyes, eye strain, and other eye-related symptoms.
Article Menu
- Symptom Descriptions
- Causes
- Treatment
- Therapy
- FAQ
- Prevalence
- References
Anxiety Eye Pain symptoms common descriptions:
- You have a sudden or gradual dull or sharp pain in one or both eyes.
- This eye pain might last for a moment, a few seconds, or persist for minutes or hours.
- Sometimes a dull pain or ache in the eyes can persist for days before it subsides.
- Eye aches or pains can also be accompanied by redness in the eye or eyes, or show no signs of redness at all.
- This symptom is often associated with the pain of “eye strain.”
This symptom can affect one eye only, can shift and affect the other eye, can migrate back and forth between eyes, and can affect both eyes at the same time.
Anxiety eye pain can occur rarely, frequently, or persistently day after day. For example, you have eye pain once in a while and not that often, have it off and on, or have it all the time for many hours or days.
Anxiety eye pain can precede, accompany, or follow an escalation of other anxiety sensations and symptoms, or occur by itself.
It can also precede, accompany, or follow a period of nervousness, anxiety, fear, and stress, or occur "out of the blue" and for no apparent reason.
Eye pain anxiety symptoms can range in intensity from slight, to moderate, to severe. It can also come in waves where the pain is severe one moment and eases off the next.
Anxiety eye pain can change from day to day and moment to moment.
All the above combinations and variations are common.
To see if anxiety might be playing a role in your symptoms, rate your level of anxiety using our free one-minute instant results Anxiety Test, Anxiety Disorder Test, or Hyperstimulation Test.
The higher the rating, the more likely anxiety could be contributing to or causing your anxiety symptoms, including feeling like impending doom symptoms.
Why anxiety can cause eye pain
MEDICAL ALERT: Sudden eye pain can be an indication of a medical emergency. Unusual or unexplained eye pain should always be discussed with your doctor or eye doctor as soon as possible. For more general information, visit our medical advisory notification.
1. Stress response
Anxious behavior activates the stress response, causing many body-wide changes that enhance the body’s ability to deal with a threat – to either fight or flee.
This survival reaction is often referred to as the fight or flight response, the emergency response, or the fight, flight, or freeze response
(some people freeze when they are afraid like a “deer caught in headlights”).
[1][2]
Visit our “Stress Response” article for more information about the stress response and its many physiological, psychological, and emotional changes.
Some of these changes include:
- Stimulates the nervous system, which includes certain parts of the brain.
- Heightens most of the body’s senses.
- Tightens muscles so the body is more resilient to harm, including those that control eye movement.
- Dilates the pupils in the eyes so that we can take in more visual information.
- Reduces peripheral vision so that we can focus solely on the threat.
To name a few.
These sudden changes in eye function can cause pain in the eyes if the stress response is dramatic.
2. Hyperstimulation
When stress responses occur infrequently, the body can recover relatively quickly from the physiological, psychological, and emotional changes caused by the stress response.
However, when stress responses occur too frequently, such as from overly anxious behavior, the body doesn't completely recover.
Incomplete recovery can cause the body to remain in a state of semi stress response readiness, which we call “stress-response hyperstimulation” since stress hormones produced by the stress response are stimulants.
Hyperstimulation is also often referred to as “hyperarousal,” “HPA axis dysfunction,” or “nervous system dysregulation.”[3][4]
Hyperstimulation can cause the changes of an active stress response even though a stress response hasn’t been activated. Chronic anxiety and eye pain are common indications of hyperstimulation.
Visit our “Stress-response Hyperstimulation” article for more information about the many changes caused by hyperstimulation.
Moreover, in addition to causing muscle tension-related eye pain, hyperstimulation can also irritate the nerves associated with the eyes, which can cause nerve-related eye pain.
As the degree of hyperstimulation increases, so can the prevalence and persistence of eye pain.
Furthermore, hyperstimulation can exacerbate eye strain pain.
For instance, long hours looking at a computer screen or reading can tax the muscles that control eye movements. Strained eye muscles can present as “eye strain.”
Hyperstimulation can cause chronic muscle tension, which can cause eye strain faster than usual and make eye strain pain worse.
I (Jim Folk) experienced many eye-related symptoms due to anxiety and hyperstimulation, including acute and chronic eye pain.
3. Other factors
Associated with anxiety, there are other factors that can cause and contribute to this symptom, including:
- Medication
- Recreational drugs
- Stimulants
- Sleep deprivation
- Fatigue
- Hyper and hypoventilation
- Low blood sugar
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Dehydration
- Hormones And Hormonal Changes
Select the relevant link for more information
How to get rid of anxiety eye pain
When other factors cause or aggravate this anxiety symptom, addressing the specific cause can reduce and eliminate this symptom.
When the eye pain anxiety symptom is caused by apprehensive behavior and the accompanying stress response changes, calming yourself down will bring an end to the stress response and its changes.
As your body recovers from the active stress response and its changes, anxiety eye pain will subside.
Keep in mind that it can take up to 20 minutes or more for the body to recover from a major stress response. This is normal and shouldn’t be a cause for concern.
When hyperstimulation (chronic stress) causes eye pain, eliminating hyperstimulation will end this anxiety symptom.
You can eliminate hyperstimulation by:
- Reducing stress.
- Containing anxious behavior (since anxiety creates stress).
- Regular deep relaxation.
- Avoiding stimulants.
- Regular light to moderate exercise.
- Eating a healthy diet of whole and natural foods.
- Passively accepting your symptoms until they subside.
- Being patient as your body recovers.
Visit our “60 Natural Ways To Reduce Stress” article for more ways to reduce stress.
Keep in mind that recovering from hyperstimulation can take much longer than most people think.
Nevertheless, when the body has recovered from hyperstimulation and its effects, anxiety-caused eye pain will subside.
As your body recovers from hyperstimulation, it stops presenting symptoms, including anxiety eye pain.
Worrying about anxiety symptoms, such as this one, often causes anxiety symptoms to persist, since worry stresses the body. It’s best to accept and tolerate this symptom as your body recovers. Not reacting to this symptom with worry and angst will allow your body to recover…in time.
Acceptance, practice, and patience are key to recovery.
Short-term Remedies
Even though eliminating hyperstimulation will eliminate chronic anxiety symptoms, including anxiety eye pain, some people have found the following strategies helpful.
However, keep in mind that each person can have a unique symptom experience since each person is somewhat physically, chemically, psychologically, and emotionally unique.
What might work for one person might not for another.
Reduce stress – Since stress, including anxiety-caused stress, is a common cause of pain in the eyes, reducing stress can reduce episodes of this symptom.
Any stress reduction strategy can help improve this symptom. Again, visit our article “60 Ways To Reduce Stress And Anxiety” for natural stress reduction strategies.
Regular good sleep – Regular good sleep can reduce stress, cortisol, and the body’s overall level of stimulation. Their reduction can reduce and eliminate anxiety symptoms, including eye pain.
Keep well hydrated – Dehydration can cause anxiety-like symptoms and aggravate existing anxiety symptoms. Keeping your body well hydrated can reduce and eliminate anxiety-caused eye pain.
Furthermore, keeping the surface of your eye well hydrated, such as with hydrating eye drops, can also reduce incidences of eye pain. If you are unsure of what type of drops to use, talk with your eye doctor.
Rest your eyes frequently – Frequently resting your eyes and looking at objects at a distance can reduce eye pain related to eye strain and anxiety-caused muscle tension. Instead of working consecutive long hours, take frequent rest breaks to move your body and rest your eyes.
Visit our “Muscle Tension” symptom for more information about anxiety and muscle tension.
NOTE: Migraine headaches can also cause eye pain. For more information, see your doctor about migraine headaches and visit our “Migraine Headaches” symptom.
Anxiety and Eye Pain Frequent Questions
Is anxiety eye pain serious?
Anxiety-caused eye pain isn’t serious, as it is a symptom of stress. It will subside when you eliminate unhealthy stress. However, sudden eye pain can be serious. It’s best to seek immediate medical attention if you are unsure of the cause of your sudden eye pain.
Can anxiety cause headaches and eye strain?
Yes, the stress caused by anxiety can cause and aggravate headaches and eye strain.
In fact, well over half of anxiety sufferers get eye strain pain due to their anxiety.
Can anxiety cause your eyes to feel weird?
Yes, the stress caused by anxiety can make your eyes feel weird, including having pain in the eyes, such as from eye strain. In fact, well over half of anxious people get eye pain and eyes that feel weird due to their anxiety.
Can anxiety cause eye strain?
Yes, the stress caused by anxiety is often a cause of eye strain and the pain associated with eye strain. Well over half of anxious people get eye pain due to their anxiety.
Prevalence
In an online poll we conducted, 67 percent of respondents said they had eye pain symptoms because of their anxiety.
Common Anxiety Symptoms
The combination of good self-help information and working with an experienced anxiety disorder therapist, coach, or counselor is the most effective way to address anxiety and its many symptoms. Until the core causes of anxiety are addressed – which we call the underlying factors of anxiety – a struggle with anxiety unwellness can return again and again.
Dealing with the underlying factors of anxiety is the best way to address problematic anxiety.
Additional Resources
- For a comprehensive list of Anxiety Disorders Symptoms Signs, Types, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
- Anxiety and panic attacks symptoms can be powerful experiences. Find out what they are and how to stop them.
- How to stop an anxiety attack and panic.
- Free online anxiety tests to screen for anxiety. Two minute tests with instant results. Such as:
- Anxiety Test
- Anxiety Disorder Test
- OCD Test
- Social Anxiety Test
- Generalized Anxiety Test
- Hyperstimulation Test
- Anxiety 101 is a summarized description of anxiety, anxiety disorder, and how to overcome it.
Return to our anxiety disorders signs and symptoms page.
anxietycentre.com: Information, support, and therapy for anxiety disorder and its symptoms, including Anxiety Eye Pain Symptoms.
References
1. Folk, Jim. “The Stress Response.” Anxiety Attacks, Anxietycentre.com, 2020.
2. "Understanding the Stress Response - Harvard Health." Harvard Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2016.
3. Elbers, Jorina, et al. "Wired for Threat: Clinical Features of Nervous System Dysregulation in 80 Children." Pediatric Neurology, Dec 2018.
4. Teixeira, Renata Roland, et al. “Chronic Stress Induces a Hyporeactivity of the Autonomic Nervous System in Response to Acute Mental Stressor and Impairs Cognitive Performance in Business Executives.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2015.
5. Hofmann, Stefan G., et al. “The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-Analyses.” Cognitive Therapy and Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Oct. 2012.
6. Leichsenring, Falk. “Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy the Gold Standard for Psychotherapy?” JAMA, American Medical Association, 10 Oct. 2017.
7. DISCLAIMER: Because each body is somewhat chemically unique, and because each person will have a unique mix of symptoms and underlying factors, recovery results may vary. Variances can occur for many reasons, including due to the severity of the condition, the ability of the person to apply the recovery concepts, and the commitment to making behavioral change.
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.
Eye pains and headaches
Are eye pains always associated with eye disease?
No, other conditions can cause pain in or around the eyes.
In what cases can the causes of eye pain be hidden in other areas of the body?
The eye is a richly nerved organ, whose sensitivity is provided by the trigeminal nerve, which provides sensation in the scalp, upper eyelid, lacrimal gland, cornea and mucous membrane of the eye, in the root of the nose, frontal sinuses, and also in part of the shell brain - in its outer layer and in the blood vessels. One of the manifestations of the disease of this nerve may also be pain in the eyes, although the eye, as an organ, is healthy.
Trigeminal (V) nerve and its branches
One of the nuclei of the trigeminal nerve is located in the cervical region, where its sensory fibers interact with the cerebral XI or accessory nerve, as well as with nerve pathways in the upper part of the neck, thus bringing the pain that appeared in the neck to the head, including the eyes.
Trigeminal V nucleus in the cervical region
Pain in the eyes can also be caused by optic neuritis, as well as occipital neuralgia or nerve disease that has arisen in the region of the first and second cervical vertebrae.
Anatomy of the optic nerve
What diseases cause eye pain and headache?
Migraine or a disease characterized by severe headache. Symptoms of the disease may also include hypersensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, pain in or behind the eyes, blurred vision, changes in the field of vision (floating blurry dots, flashes of light), etc.
Migraine is divided into two types - migraine with or without aura. In the case of migraine with aura, before a migraine attack, symptoms are felt that indicate the approach of an attack. A migraine attack can last from several hours to several days and usually occurs in stages. Despite this, each patient has an attack individually.
There is also ocular migraine, when in the event of an attack the main complaints are related to changes in vision, blurring.
Migraine and cluster headaches
Cluster (bundle) headache is one of the most severe headaches. It usually starts suddenly, without any warning symptoms, and continues as episodic pains that recur periodically. Attacks usually last 6 to 12 weeks and may be seasonal. During an attack, pain usually occurs daily, and sometimes several times a day. The duration of one attack of pain can last from 15 to 180 minutes, moreover, the pain occurs every time at the same time of day, most often at night, 2-3 hours after falling asleep.
The pain is usually excruciating, in most cases localized around the eyes, but can also radiate to the face, head, and even to the neck and shoulders. The pain is one-sided, it can also be accompanied by redness of the eye, tearing, swelling, and sometimes even drooping of the upper eyelid.
Occipital neuralgia (occipital neuralgia) is a common type of headache. These headaches are caused by damage to the greater or lesser occipital nerves, which originate in the neck, near the second and third occipital vertebrae. Causes of pain can be tumors, trauma, infections, hemorrhages, or systemic diseases such as osteoarthritis, degenerative changes in the cervical spine, diabetes, and gout. Occipital neuralgia can also be triggered by a long stay in a position with the head tilted down. As a rule, the pain begins in the neck, then spreads upward and is reflected in the region of the eye orbits, the back of the head, forehead and temples. The pain is sharp, pulsating, similar to an electric shock.
Trochleitis - inflammation of the oblique muscle of the eye, which causes pain above the eyeball or in the inner corner. Trochleitis can be caused by autoimmune inflammatory diseases of the connective tissue such as Behcet's disease, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, lymphoma, Tolosa-Hunt syndrome, and rheumatic diseases - rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus or inflammation of the sinuses, tumors. In the case of trochleitis, the pain is prolonged and can range in intensity from dull to severe. Various studies also suggest that trochleitis may exacerbate migraine attacks in patients who already have migraine.
Trochlear nerve anatomy
LASH is a very rare type of headache that presents in two ways. In the first case, the manifestations of the disease are episodic, and they are characterized by short-term and frequent attacks of headache, accompanied by symptoms such as conjunctivitis, lacrimation, drooping of the upper eyelid, nasal discharge.
One attack lasts from 2 to 45 minutes. In the second case, LASH manifests itself in the form of a mild to moderate, long-term, one-sided headache, during which migraine-like attacks appear with an even more pronounced pain syndrome. In both cases, the localization of pain can also be behind the eyeball.
Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic condition that affects the trigeminal nerve, in which case even the slightest facial irritation can cause an onset of acute pain. Pain can be caused by smiling, talking, touching your face, drinking cold or hot drinks, shaving your beard, brushing your teeth, etc. Seizures may initially be short and mild, gradually progressing in both duration and intensity. The pain is cutting in nature and similar to an electrical discharge, the cause of their occurrence is completely unknown.
Optic neuritis is a demyelinating inflammation of the optic nerve in which the optic nerve loses its myelin fiber, resulting in impaired transmission of visual information to and from the brain.
This inflammation is characterized by blurred vision and pain that is aggravated by eye movement. Changes in the perception of colors are also usually common. Often pain is the first manifestation of optic neuritis. The causes of this inflammation are often systemic diseases such as multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis.
Postherpetic neuralgia occurs in 7% of patients with herpes zoster, in whom the course of the disease also affected the eyes. After recovery, the patient may have episodic or even persistent pain for months or even years, including the area around the eyes. The greatest chance of developing postherpetic neuralgia occurs in the elderly, as well as in people whose herpes began with a prodrome - symptoms similar to a cold.
Disease of the paranasal sinuses is an inflammation or swelling of the sinuses that can result from exposure to various viruses, bacteria, fungi, or allergens. Inflammation creates a blockage of these sinuses, which is expressed by characteristic symptoms - discharge from the nose, pain in the facial area, including around the eyes, headache, fever, weakness, pain in the neck and cough.
Sinuses
Reflective pain. Eye pain also occurs with pain in the frontal lobe, reflecting pain from the frontal lobe to the eye, with damage to the back of the brain, and also with cervicalgia or pain in the neck.
The already famous philosopher Socrates, who lived before our era, said: “Just as one cannot start treating the eye without thinking about the head, or treating the head without thinking about the whole organism, so one cannot treat the body without treating the soul ...” Although modern medicine is extremely specialized in various medical fields, it is always worth remembering that the human body is a holistic entity that needs to be looked at on a larger scale.
Headache - causes, what diseases it occurs in, diagnosis and treatment methods
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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.
For a correct assessment of the results of your analyzes in dynamics, it is preferable to do studies in the same laboratory, since different laboratories may use different research methods and units of measurement to perform the same analyzes.
Headache - the causes of the appearance, in which diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment.
The basis of headache is 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
Migraines are about three times more common in women than in men, and about 60-70% of all migraines in women are so-called menstrual migraines. 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, eating disorders, 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.
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
The key radiological examination in chronic cerebral ischemia (ultrasound dopplerography of cerebral vessels)
Ultrasound of the brachiocephalic vessels (extracranial vessels leading to the brain)
An examination 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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Injection of contrast medium
Intravenous injection of contrast medium.
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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 I do when I get it?
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 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 the common 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:
- to a 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-type headache
Most patients with tension-type 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 CBC: general...
Up to 1 business day
Available with home visit
RUB 810
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and blood chemistry,
Blood chemistry: minimal profile
Up to 1 business day
Available with home visit
3 990 RUB
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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...
Up to 1 business day
Available with house call
335 RUB
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glycated hemoglobin,
Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C, Glycated Hemoglobin)
Synonyms: Blood test for glycated hemoglobin. Glycohemoglobin; HbA1c; Hemoglobin A1c; A1c; HgbA1c; Hb1c. Brief characteristics of the analyte Glycated hemo...
Up to 1 business day
Available with home visit
820 RUB
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lipid metabolism indicators
Lipid profile: extended
Up to 1 business day
Available with home visit
3 960 RUB
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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...
Up to 1 business day
Available with house call
RUB 1,620
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it is also necessary to undergo an electrocardiographic examination (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 evaluate functional and organic changes in the heart, its contractility, as well as the condition of the valvular apparatus.
RUB 3,890 Sign up
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)
An examination 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.
For a correct assessment of the results of your analyzes in dynamics, it is preferable to do studies in the same laboratory, since different laboratories may use different research methods and units of measurement to perform the same analyzes.
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