Can you get a headache from crying

Headache after crying: Why does it happen?

Crying is a natural response to many emotions, including sadness, grief, stress, and even happiness. Some people experience a headache after crying.

The body produces tears when the limbic system, which is responsible for emotional arousal, sends a signal to the lacrimal glands. These glands, located just above each eyelid, produce tears.

When a person cries, they may also experience a runny nose and tension in the muscles around their face and head.

This article discusses the types of headaches that people might experience after crying and how to treat or prevent them.

To discover more evidence-based information and resources for headache and migraine, visit our dedicated hub.

Scientists do not know the exact link between crying and headaches.

Often when a person is crying, they may be experiencing pain or strong emotions, which put the body under stress. The body releases hormones, such as cortisol, when experiencing stress, which can cause a range of physical and emotional reactions in the body.

Crying also engages several facial muscles, which may cause tension around the face, head, and neck.

These emotional and physical processes may be responsible for triggering several different types of headaches after crying.

One type of headache that a person may experience after crying is a tension headache.

When a person cries, several muscles in their face tense up. They may also feel tension in their jaw, down their neck, and at the back of their head. If a person is crying over a prolonged period, the continuous contractions of these muscles may result in a tension headache.

Tension headaches are the most common primary headache, a headache that is not the result of another condition.

Symptoms of a tension headache may include:

pain on both sides of the head, neck, or face
a pain that feels like a tight vice or band around the head
tender feeling in the affected area which may worsen with touch

When a person cries, their tears drain into small holes in the corners of the eyelids, known as puncta. If a person produces a lot of tears, this drainage system becomes overwhelmed, and tears overflow down their cheeks. Some of these tears can also drain into their nasal passage.

Within the nasal passage are small, hollow spaces, known as the sinuses, that run along the cheekbones and forehead. When tears drain into the sinuses, they mix with mucus and can cause a runny nose. This buildup of mucus and tears can cause pressure in the sinuses, which may lead to a headache.

A person experiencing a sinus headache may feel pain and pressure across their forehead, cheeks, or around their eyes. These areas may also be tender and painful to touch. The pain and pressure of a sinus headache may worsen with sudden movements or when a person leans forward.

However, it is important to note that sinus headaches are not common and people experience them as a result of sinusitis. Furthermore, there is an overlap between the symptoms of sinus headaches and a migraine, so it may be difficult for a person to know which one they are experiencing.

If a person is crying due to feeling overwhelmed and stressed, this may trigger a migraine attack.

Stress is a common trigger for migraines. Researchers found that 80% of people who experience migraines reported stress as one of their common triggers and 57.7% reported fatigue as another.

There are also some common links between the processes involved with crying and those that trigger a migraine attack.

Research has found that crying may activate the autonomic nervous system. Additionally, research shows that migraine attacks may occur due to dysregulation of the sympathetic nervous system, which is part of the autonomic nervous system, indicating a possible connection between the two.

Migraine attacks are a common type of headache, with around 15% of Americans experiencing them. Migraines may involve a throbbing or pounding pain across the head and face. This pain can be moderate to severe and tends to worsen with activity.

It is common for this pain to be on one side but it can occur anywhere across the face, head, and neck. Some people may mistake a migraine for a sinus headache, as the pain can also occur across the nose and behind the eyes and a runny nose may accompany it.

Along with pounding head pain, other symptoms of a migraine may include:

nausea
vomiting
sensitivity to light, sound, or smells

There are several ways a person may reduce the discomfort of a headache after crying. A person may consider speaking with a doctor about headache treatments because different types of headaches may respond better to different treatments. People should speak with a doctor before taking any medications to manage their headaches.

A person may wish to try some of the following techniques:

gently massaging the head and neck muscles to reduce tension
placing a warm or cool pack on the affected area to help relieve pressure and lessen muscle tension
taking over-the-counter pain medications, such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen
taking triptans, a prescription medication that aims to treat migraines
resting in a cool, dark, quiet room

In addition to the above treatments, if a person experiencing a crying-induced headache suspects it may be a sinus headache, they may wish to try the following:

using a nasal irrigation device to help decongest the sinuses to relieve sinus pressure — the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a guide on how to safely use one
leaning over a warm bowl of water and inhaling the vapor
staying hydrated

Headaches are a common occurrence and can often cause mild discomfort. However, if a person is experiencing frequent headaches that impact their quality of life, they may wish to discuss potential causes and treatments with a doctor.

If a person experiences a headache with the following symptoms, it could be a sign of a more serious condition that requires medical attention:

severe pain that is worse than any headache they have previously experienced
a severe headache with a sudden onset
a high fever
repeated vomiting
problems with their speech, vision, or balance

If a person frequently feels overwhelmed and is crying far more often than usual, this may be a sign that they are experiencing a mental health condition. A doctor can help a person understand their symptoms and find the right support and treatment for them.

To help support your mental well-being and that of your loved ones, visit our dedicated mental health hub for more research-backed information and resources.

If a person is experiencing any of the headaches discussed above frequently, the best prevention is to follow a treatment plan provided by a doctor.

A doctor may prescribe medications for persistent migraine and tension headaches that aim to prevent reoccurring headaches, such as beta-blockers.

If a person is experiencing frequent sinus pain, a doctor may prescribe steroid nasal sprays or antihistamines.

Other ways a person may prevent crying-induced headaches include:

stress management
practicing good posture to reduce tension in the neck and shoulders
maintaining a regular sleep and exercise routine

Some people experience headaches after crying. Although scientists are not exactly sure why this occurs, facial muscle tension, sinus issues, and stress may play a role.

A person can try different techniques for preventing and treating headaches that occur after crying. However, if the headaches are frequent and impact their daily life, they may wish to see a doctor.

A doctor can discuss a person’s situation with them to help them decide the best course of treatment.

Causes, Other Symptoms, Treatment, and More

Why it happens

Crying is a natural response to a strong emotion — like watching a sad movie or going through a particularly painful breakup.

Sometimes the emotions you feel when you cry can be so intense that they lead to physical symptoms, like a headache.

How crying might cause headaches isn’t clear, but intense emotions, like stress and anxiety, seem to trigger processes in the brain that pave the way for headache pain.

Non-emotional or positive tears don’t seem to have the same effect. Researchers have found that crying while you cut onions or when you’re happy doesn’t provoke headaches. Only tears tied to negative emotions have this effect.

Read on to learn more about how these headaches present and what you can do to find relief.

Migraine and tension headaches are two of the most common headache types:

Migraines cause severe, pounding pain — often just on one side of your head. They’re often accompanied by symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
Tension headaches cause an aching pain and pressure that can feel like a band tightening around your head. Your neck and shoulders might also ache.

In one 2003 study, researchers found that anxiety-provoking and stressful situations were the biggest triggers for migraine and tension headaches. They saw crying as a likely and common but less well-known trigger worthy of further study and discussion.

What you can do

Medication can help prevent tension and migraine headaches as well as relieve symptoms once they start.

You may be able to stop a headache in its tracks with:

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), and acetaminophen (Tylenol), may be enough to relieve mild headache pain. If your symptoms are more moderate, look for a pain reliever that combines acetaminophen or aspirin with caffeine for maximum effect.
Triptans change blood flow in the brain to bring down inflammation. They can help with severe migraine pain. Sumatriptan (Imitrex) is available OTC. Frovatriptan (Frova), rizatriptan (Maxalt), and other triptans are available by prescription only.

If you get regular migraine or tension headaches, your doctor might prescribe one of these drugs to help prevent them:

Cardiovascular drugs treat high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, but they also prevent migraine headaches. This includes beta-blockers like metoprolol (Lopressor) and calcium channel blockers like verapamil (Calan).
Antidepressants prevent both migraines and tension headaches. This includes tricyclics like amitriptyline and selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) like venlafaxine (Effexor).
Anti-seizure drugs, such as topiramate (Topamax), can reduce the number of migraine headaches you get. These drugs might prevent tension headaches, too.

Your emotions and your sinuses are more closely linked than you might think. More than 20 percent of the people with chronic sinus problems report feeling depressed. This may be because both conditions stem from inflammation.

Inflamed sinuses may also contribute to depression by interfering with sleep and reducing quality of life.

Crying bouts are common in people who are depressed. Crying can worsen sinus symptoms like congestion and a runny nose. Pressure and congestion in your sinuses can contribute to headache pain.

Other symptoms of a sinus problem include:

stuffed nose
pain around your cheeks, eyes, forehead, nose, jaw, and teeth
thick discharge from your nose
dripping in the back of your throat (postnasal drip)
cough
sore throat

What you can do

OTC and prescription-strength nasal corticosteroids can bring down inflammation in the sinus passages.

Popular options include:

beclomethasone (Beconase AQ)
budesonide (Rhinocort)
fluticasone (Flonase)
mometasone (Nasonex)

Corticosteroids are also available in oral and injected forms.

If you have severe sinus symptoms that don’t improve with medicine, your doctor might recommend surgery to open up your sinus passages.

Both your body and brain need the right balance of fluids and electrolytes to work properly. If you don’t drink enough fluids, or you lose them too quickly, you can become dehydrated.

When your brain loses too much fluid, it shrinks. This reduction in brain volume can cause headache pain. Dehydration might also trigger or prolong migraine headache attacks.

People who’ve experienced a dehydration headache say the pain feels like an ache. It may get worse when you move your head, walk, or bend down.

Other signs of dehydration include:

dry mouth
extreme thirst
less frequent urination
dark urine
confusion
dizziness
fatigue

Crying is very unlikely to dehydrate you, unless you haven’t been drinking enough fluid. Dehydration is usually the result of:

excess sweating
increased urination
diarrhea or vomiting
fever

What you can do

Oftentimes, the pain will go away after you have a glass or two of water or an electrolyte drink, like Gatorade.

You can also take an OTC pain reliever, like aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), or acetaminophen (Tylenol).

You shouldn’t take pain relievers or other drugs that contain caffeine. They can increase fluid loss.

You should seek immediate medical attention if you have a headache and experience:

trouble seeing or talking
confusion
vomiting
fever of 102°F (about 39°C) or higher
numbness or weakness on one side of your body

It may also be a good idea to see your doctor if your headache symptoms don’t improve within a day or two. Your doctor can confirm the underlying cause and recommend more targeted treatment.

You should also talk to your doctor if you cry often or you regularly feel down. This could be the result of an underlying condition like depression.

Other signs of depression include:

feeling hopeless, guilty, or worthless
losing interest in things you once loved
having very little energy
feeling extremely tired
being irritable
having trouble concentrating or remembering
sleeping too much or too little
gaining or losing weight
thinking about dying

Antidepressant drugs and therapy can help relieve your depression — and with it, your crying bouts.

Why does your head hurt after crying? Plus, tips for relief

Why it happens

Crying is a natural response to strong emotion, such as watching a sad movie or a particularly painful breakup.

Sometimes the emotions you experience when you cry can be so intense that they lead to physical symptoms such as a headache.

How crying can cause a headache is unclear, but strong emotions such as stress and anxiety seem to trigger brain processes that pave the way for headaches.

Unemotional or positive tears do not seem to have the same effect. Researchers have found that crying when you're cutting onions or when you're happy doesn't cause headaches. Only tears associated with negative emotions have such an effect.

Read on to learn more about how these headaches present and what you can do to find relief.

What is migraine and tension headache?

Migraine and tension headache are the two most common types of headache:

Migraine causes severe throbbing pain, often on only one side of the head. They are often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
Tension headaches cause aching pain and pressure that can feel like a bandage pulling the head together. Your neck and shoulders may also hurt.

In one 2003 study, researchers found that anxiety and stressful situations were major triggers for migraine and tension headaches. They considered crying to be a likely and common, but less well-known trigger that merited further study and discussion.

What you can do

Medicines can help prevent tension headaches and migraines and relieve symptoms once they start.

You can stop a headache with:

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers Medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), and acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be enough to relieve a mild headache. If your symptoms are more mild, look for a pain reliever that combines acetaminophen or aspirin with caffeine for maximum effect.
Triptans change the blood flow in the brain to reduce inflammation. They can help with severe migraines. Sumatriptan (Imitrex) is available without a prescription. Frovatriptan (Frova), rizatriptan (Maxalt), and other triptans are available by prescription only.

If you have regular migraines or tension-type headaches, your doctor may prescribe one of the following drugs to prevent them:

cardiovascular drugs treat high blood pressure and coronary heart disease and prevent migraines. This includes beta blockers such as metoprolol (Lopressor) and calcium channel blockers such as verapamil (Kalan).
Antidepressants prevent both migraine and tension headache. These include tricyclic drugs such as amitriptyline and selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as venlafaxine (Effexor).
anticonvulsants such as topiramate (Topamax) may reduce the number of migraine attacks. These drugs can also prevent tension headaches.

What are sinus headaches?

Your emotions and your sinuses are more connected than you think. More than 20 percent of people with chronic sinus problems report feeling depressed. This may be because both conditions are associated with inflammation.

Inflamed sinuses can also contribute to depression by disrupting sleep and quality of life.

Attacks of crying are common in people who are depressed. Crying can worsen sinus symptoms such as nasal congestion and runny nose. Pressure and congestion in the sinuses can make the headache worse.

Other symptoms of a sinus problem include:

stuffy nose
pain around the cheeks, eyes, forehead, nose, jaw and teeth
thick nasal discharge
dripping in the back of the throat (postnasal drip)
sore throat

What you can do

Over-the-counter and prescription nasal corticosteroids can reduce sinus inflammation.

Popular options include:

beclomethasone (Beconase AQ)
budesonide (rinocort)
fluticasone (flonase)
mometasone (nasonex)

Corticosteroids are also available in oral and injectable forms.

If you have severe sinus symptoms that do not improve with medication, your doctor may recommend surgery to open up your sinuses.

What is a dehydration headache?

Both your body and brain need the right balance of fluids and electrolytes to function properly. If you don't drink enough fluids, or if you lose fluids too quickly, you may become dehydrated.

When your brain loses too much fluid, it shrinks. This decrease in brain volume can cause headaches. Dehydration can also trigger or prolong migraine attacks.

People who have experienced dehydration headaches report that the pain feels like it hurts. It may get worse when you move your head, walk, or bend over.

Other signs of dehydration include:

dry mouth
extreme thirst
less frequent urination
dark urine
confusion
dizziness
fatigue

It is unlikely that crying will lead to dehydration unless you are drinking enough fluids. Dehydration is usually the result of:

excessive sweating
increased urination
diarrhea or vomiting
fever

What you can do

Often the pain goes away after you drink a glass or two of electrolyte water or two. like Gatorade.

You can also take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), or acetaminophen (Tylenol).

You should not take painkillers or other drugs that contain caffeine. They can increase fluid loss.

When to see a doctor

You should seek medical attention immediately if you have a headache and experience:

trouble seeing or talking
confusion
vomiting
fever 102°F (about 39°C) or higher
numbness or weakness on one side of the body

It may also be a good idea to see a doctor if headache symptoms do not improve within a day or two. Your doctor can confirm the underlying cause and recommend more targeted treatment.

You should also talk to your doctor if you cry a lot or feel depressed all the time. This may be the result of an underlying condition such as depression.

Other signs of depression include:

feeling hopeless, guilty, or worthless
losing interest in things you once loved
having very little energy
feeling extremely tired
being irritable
sleeping too much or too little
gaining or losing weight
thinking about death

Antidepressants and therapy can help relieve depression and, with it, bouts of crying.

Doctors have found that most people have headaches from stress

Modern life with its frantic rhythm brings more and more new diseases.

Recently doctors have discovered another type of headache - tension headache (THT). Today, two-thirds of the population suffers from it, and 90 percent of them are people of working age.

If life has tortured you

There are many varieties of headaches.

Companion . Accompanies any serious diseases such as hypertension, sinusitis, etc.

Migraine . Usually this is the privilege of women. Representatives of the weaker sex suffer from it in twenty percent of cases, while the male part of the population does not even reach ten.

Tuft pain . Exclusively male disease. Severe pains in the eye and temple are repeated for two to three weeks. The causes of cluster pain are not known today.

Exotic pains . People are persecuted regardless of gender. Some people get headaches only when they eat ice cream. Others get headaches exclusively during orgasm.

Headaches of athletes associated with overload.

There are other types of headaches. But the most common pain today is from life. It occurs in 70% of cases. Doctors call it a disease of civilization, and if you already have a diagnosis of tension headache, that's it, you need to change your life.

- I don't think primitive people had this form of headache. Computers, televisions, telephones, huge mental and emotional overloads are the main cause of this type of headache. It can be episodic - lasting two or three days, and sometimes chronic, when a person comes and says: "I have a headache every day, from morning to evening, for several months." "In this case, long-term treatment with the use of various drugs is required," says Professor of the Department of Nervous Diseases of the Moscow Medical Academy. THEM. Sechenov Andrey Danilov.

Indeed, the head constantly "swells" from thoughts of where to earn money, "cracks" from everyday worries and minor troubles, "splits" under the weight of problems that have piled on. At home, at work, on the road the same thing - stress, stress, stress ... Andrey Borisovich believes that "the main thing is a person's attitude to his life. If he is satisfied with his work, family, it does not matter whether he is rich or poor, - then at least there are no prerequisites for the appearance of a tension headache.

Self-treatment is like a guillotine

The best cure for a headache, as the French say, is the guillotine. But, not daring to such a radical treatment, the pain-maddened sufferer seeks relief in a pharmacy among many different painkillers. In the Moscow Headache Clinic, for example, they remember well the woman who took three hundred pills a month. It would be more correct, of course, to first find out, taking into account all your sores, which drugs you can take and which not. But, alas, eighty percent of those suffering from a headache never go to the doctor. As a result, two hundred thousand patients are registered annually with such "effective" self-medication that twenty thousand of them require urgent hospitalization. Why?

- There are three most common analgesics available today: aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen. They are sold in pharmacies without a prescription. But with stomach ulcers, for example, aspirin is contraindicated. And with a diseased liver and after hepatitis, it is better not to take paracetamol, - explained Professor Danilov. - It's good when after one or two swallowed tablets the head stops hurting and then does not remind of itself for a long time. But it is quite another matter if it hurts often, requiring almost constant medication. In this case, the pharmacy is not at all the place to resolve the issue. It is better to consult a doctor.

Anatomy of pain

Causes of tension headache (TTH):

Stress.

Alarm.

Depression.

Overstrain of the muscles of the head, neck, shoulder girdle.

Overuse of analgesics and other drugs.

How it manifests itself:

With episodic HDN, the head hurts from 30 minutes to 7 days, with chronic HDN - constantly and daily.

Half of the head hurts more often, but the localization of pain can be bilateral.

The pain is not throbbing, but squeezing, squeezing - the head is as if clamped in a vise.

Everyday physical activity does not increase the pain, but it seriously interferes with work and reduces the quality of life.

Increased pain may be accompanied by intolerance to sounds, bright lights, loss of appetite, or nausea. True, to a lesser extent than with migraine, and, as a rule, the manifestation of not all symptoms at once.

May be accompanied by:

panic attacks;

syncope and pre-syncope states;

excessive sweating;

changes in blood pressure;

sleep disorder.

Tips

1 Lack of sleep is no more harmful than oversleeping. In both cases, the head hurts. So, go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends and holidays. Learn to relax, relax mentally and physically.

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