This blog will answer the question: can depression cause headaches based on scientific studies. Plus, Depression Open Talks suggests how to prevent and overcome headaches caused by depression.
The painful, throbbing, stabbing pains that can strike anywhere on your head are known as headaches. In actuality, stress headaches affect up to 80% of individuals. Along with other physical problems, headaches can occasionally be brought on by depression. Additionally, studies have demonstrated a strong association between tension headaches and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
In fact, according to research published by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), 11% of patients with mental health disorders had migraine attacks before those disorders. Major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders were included.
Up to 40% of those who suffer from migraines may also experience depression, according to the ADAA. Other sorts of headaches could be secondary or a sign of depression. It is possible to develop more effective treatments and preventive strategies by being aware of the origins and symptoms of depression headaches.
Types of Headaches
There are two types of headaches: primary and secondary. Chronic stress, alcohol use, and a poor diet are a few lifestyle choices that might contribute to primary headaches. Migraine, cluster, and tension headaches are a few types of main headaches. Other underlying ailments, such as muscle aches or medical issues, are often associated with secondary headaches. Following are some instances of secondary headaches and their causes:
- sinus headaches
- chronic daily headaches
- exercise-induced headaches
- headaches caused by coughing
- illnesses like the flu or infection
- blood clots, high blood pressure, or other cardiovascular conditions
Because headaches can happen at any hour of the day, they are erratic and leave you unprepared. Tension and migraine headaches are linked to depressive symptoms. The frequency of your headaches will determine if they are contributing to your depression or the other way around. But, it can be challenging to decide this.
Depressive symptoms may be brought on by regular headaches accompanied by muscle aches and tension. You may have headaches if depression is an underlying illness. According to the National Headache Foundation, secondary headaches caused by depression are often tension headaches.
Symptoms of Headaches
Your head hurts when you get a headache. Depending on the type of headache you experience, the pain will vary in both form and intensity. One or more of the following signs and symptoms may accompany a headache:
- persistent dull pain
- sharp pain
- many head areas are affected by radiating pain
- throbbing
Sinus headache
If you get sinus headaches, you may also feel discomfort in the area around your nose, cheeks, and forehead where your sinuses are located. Even though recurrent sinus headaches aren’t commonly linked to depression, they can lower your quality of life.
Tension headache
In addition to a headache in the middle of your head, tension headaches can also cause neck pain. They typically take longer to manifest themselves and are brought on by muscle contractions in the neck and scalp region. Depressive symptoms can include this kind of headache.
Migraine
On the other hand, a migraine episode starts suddenly. A migraine episode can last for several hours or even days. Migraine can make you:
- nauseated
- exceedingly light- and sound-sensitive
- cancel work or social engagements
- can’t work or carry out fundamental daily tasks
A headache can be brought on by depression. Or, depression may develop into a linked condition of migraine or other regular headaches. In any scenario, it’s critical to recognize your depression symptoms to get help.
Symptoms of Depression
Symptoms of depression include:
- hopelessness
- back pain & other physical illnesses such as headaches
- fatigue
- a lot of tears
- excessive drowsiness throughout the day and sleeplessness at night
- abandonment of social activities
- loss of interest in once-enjoyable activities
- Suicidal thoughts.
🤔You might also like: You may suffer double depression without knowing
Can depression cause headaches? Fact-backed answer
There is a lot of overlap between depression and headache, with both conditions being linked to a number of factors. In fact, it’s estimated that around 50% of people with headaches also have some form of depression. However, the link between these two conditions isn’t always clear-cut, and there’s no single cause or solution for either condition. That said, there are a number of scientific findings that suggest depression can be a cause or contributor to headaches.
Depression can lead to headaches because of the way it affects brain chemicals that control pain. Headaches are a common symptom of depression, occurring in about 30% of people with the condition. The pain may be severe and chronic, and it can interfere with daily activities.
Depression can cause headaches, just as a headache disease (particularly a chronic one) can cause depression or another mood disorder. Similar to the chicken and egg idea, it can be challenging for medical professionals to figure out the cause-effect relation. Remember that a person’s headache still has genuine physical pain, even if depression is the primary contributing factor.
Additionally, the link between depression and headaches is frequently not direct. Either depression causes the headache issue or vice versa. As a result, a person may discover that depression worsens or increases the frequency of their headaches.
Remember that in addition to a headache, depression can cause the following physical complaints:
- Pain (abdominal, back, neck)
- Joint pains and aches
- Weakness
- Constipation
Treatment for headaches caused depression
Depending on the underlying causes, there may be multiple approaches to treating depression headaches. Both your headache and your depressive symptoms may require medical attention. The following options should be discussed with your doctor.
Depression migraine medications
Certain pharmaceutical drugs can be used to treat migraines, anxiety, and depression. These include anxiolytics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants. If prescription medications are not well tolerated, another therapy option is Botox injections. Symptoms of depression may be lessened by initially treating the migraine.
Tension headache treatment
Secondary headaches and other depressive symptoms can be treated with some of the same pharmaceutical drugs. Tricyclic antidepressants and biofeedback are a couple of these.
SSRIs for depression
The most often prescribed drugs for treating depression are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft are a few examples. If your doctor determines that your headaches are a result of depression, this course of treatment might be the most effective. SSRIs don’t deal with the headaches themselves.
OTC painkillers
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications might momentarily reduce the discomfort of a severe headache. These drugs include traditional ones like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), as well as more targeted ones like Excedrin Migraine, which contains aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine.
The issue with over-the-counter painkillers is that they merely cover up the true reasons for headaches brought on by depression. Additionally, you might not be able to take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen and aspirin if you’re taking antidepressants.
Psychotherapy
To address your ideas and actions, psychotherapy is often known as talk therapy. It entails hour-long sessions with a mental health expert. A psychotherapist doesn’t recommend medicine, in contrast to a psychiatrist.
Psychotherapy is frequently used to help treat depression and anxiety disorders by changing attitudes and actions. Psychotherapy can assist in long-term symptom relief if you suffer from serious depression together with persistent headaches.
Prevention
In addition to taking prescribed drugs, lifestyle choices can significantly help address underlying depression that may be causing your headaches:
- Diet. Your brain and general mood can be fueled by eating a balanced diet of whole foods rather than convenient meals.
- Reduce your stress. Treatment and prevention of depression also greatly benefit from stress reduction and maintaining an active social life.
- Exercise. Activity is challenging while you have a headache, but regular exercise between bad headaches might assist the body get more oxygen and may even help to lessen the frequency of headaches.
- Alternative therapies like yoga, massage, and acupuncture can be beneficial.
Despite the seeming contradiction, you should try to limit your use of over-the-counter pain relievers. Rebound headaches can result from overusing these drugs. When your body adjusts to the meds and they stop working, these headaches start to appear. The severity of rebound headaches also increases.
When to see a doctor
If you continue to have daily headaches, if your depression symptoms worsen, or if you have both, you may need to see a doctor. Seeing a doctor is also advised if you experience two or more headaches per week. It could be time to contact your doctor if you provided a negative response to any of these questions.
- Are your headaches and depressive symptoms getting better?
- Are you able to engage in routine activities like work or school?
- Can you function without taking over-the-counter medications?
Can depression cause headaches: Key takeaways
In conclusion, there is scientific evidence that depression can cause headaches. However, it is important to note that not everyone who experiences headaches as a result of depression will have the same exact symptoms. It is also important to seek out medical help if you are experiencing severe headaches that do not go away with treatment. Finally, it is important to remember that there is always hope and that with proper treatment, many people achieve complete remission from their depression.
References
(n.d.). Can Depression Cause Headaches? | Reichbach Center For Ketamine, Psychotropics & Cannabis. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://www.findpainrelief.com/patient-resources/education/blog/mental-health/can-depression-cause-headaches
Doherty, C. (2020, July 3). Headaches as a Symptom of Depression. Verywell Health. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://www.verywellhealth.com/is-depression-causing-my-headache-1719452
Legg, T. J., & Raman, R. (2019, March 12). Depression Headaches: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments. Healthline. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/headache/depression-headaches
