Stress Triggers Headache: Study

A study says that mounting stress and migraine attacks are reasons behind headache experiences and this in itself can act as a cause of further stress.

In the new fast-paced world today, stress has become a part of life which is now a major cause of headache and migraine, says a new research.

Researchers say it is all a vicious circle where stress causes headache and this state further leads to more stress.

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Study author Sara H Schramm, MD, of University Hospital of University Duisburg-Essen, Germany, said, “The results add weight to the concept that stress can be a factor contributing to the onset of headache disorders, that it accelerates the progression to chronic headache, exacerbates headache episodes, and that the headache experience itself can serve as a stressor."

The researchers selected 5,159 people in the age group of 21 to 71 years for a two-year survey. They found out about the link between their stress levels and headaches four times a year. They rated stress level on a scale of zero to 100.

The stress level came up to 52 out of 100 for 31 per cent participants who exhibited tension-type headache. In case of migraine, the figure stood at 62 out of 100 and 14 per cent participants came under this category.

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The study showed that 11 per cent had migraine combined with tension-type headache and the stress level for this category was 59.

The study also revealed that when the stress level went up, different types of headaches also increased. In case of headache caused due to tension, an increase of stress by 10 points increased the number of headache days per month by 6.3 per cent.

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In case of migraine, the number of headache days per month went up by 4.3 per cent. And the figure was 4 per cent for headache triggered by migraine and tension.

"These results show that this is a problem for everyone who suffers from headaches and emphasise the importance of stress management approaches for people with migraine and those who treat them," said Schramm.

Quiz on Stress

Introduction

Stress has become one of the major health concerns in the modern world, but it is still difficult to define. Stress is a normal physical response when faced with a challenge, and in small doses, stress can motivate us and drive us to better performance. But stress overload is typically described as a negative concept that can have an impact on a person’s mental and physical well-being ().

There are 10 questions on ‘Stress’ in this quiz that will explore the depth of your knowledge and provide answers to the following:

Symptoms of stress ()
Stress hormone ()
Complication of chronic stress ()
Phobia ()
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ()

Another study has found that migraines are associated with stress and any kind of anxiety, tension and shock may cause migraine attack. It also said that people should learn ways to manage this by eating regularly and getting adequate sleep.

Source-Medindia