AP31817

Does more stress equal more headaches?

There are an endless amount of factors that play a role in causing a headache. Some people get headaches from not eating or drinking anything for long periods of time, others get headaches from alternating between warm and cool conditions. Stress plays a huge role in the amount of headaches a person will get. Studies have shown that someone who has been exposed to higher stress levels, generally they have a higher amount of headaches. For the study, 5,159 people age 21 to 71 in the general population were surveyed about their stress levels and headaches four times a year for two years (American Academy of Neurology). The participants stated the number of headaches they encountered in a period of one month, and gave a stress number on a scale of zero to 100. A total of 31 percent of the participants had tension-type headache, 14 percent had migraine, 11 percent had migraine combined with tension-type headache and for 17 percent the headache type was not classified (American Academy of Neurology). There were causes that affected the number of the headaches that the people being tested received, but they were the result of smoking, drinking, and the use of medication. "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" (Schramm). I personally get headaches from lack of sleep, overworking my body, or from a great deal of stress, which is why I can see stress being a big cause of headaches.

References: American Academy of Neurology (AAN). "Does more stress equal more headaches?." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 February 2014. 

Schramm, Sara H. University Hospital of University Duisburg-Essen, Germany.

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