The Link between Stress and Headaches

A recent study shows that frequent headaches may be a sign of excess stress.

According to researchers from the University Hospital of University Duisburg-Essen in Germany, they discovered that people who experience more stress are typically more likely to have frequent headaches.

For the study, researchers examined 5,159 individuals between the ages of 21 and 71, who were surveyed about their stress levels and the amount of headaches they had four times a year over a period of two years. Participants were then asked to determine the number of headaches they had each month as well as rate their stress levels from a scale of zero to 100.

The results showed that approximately 31 percent of those involved in the study suffered from tension headaches, 14 percent suffered from migraine headaches and 11 percent suffered from migraine combined with tension-type headaches. Another 17 percent also dealt with an unclassified headache type.

According to background information from the study, those who suffered from tension type headaches typically suffered from stress levels with an average level of 52, migraine headache sufferers had a stress level of 62 and those with combination headache issues rated their stress as 59 out of 100.

Lastly, the findings showed that the number of headaches experienced per month was connected to an increase in stress levels.

"These results show that this is a problem for everyone who suffers from headaches and emphasize the importance of stress management approaches for people with migraine and those who treat them," said study author Dr. Sara H. Schramm of University Hospital of University Duisburg-Essen in Germany, via a press release. "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."

More information regarding the study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 66th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, April 26 to May 3.