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Why Do We Get Headaches When Stressed?

woman suffers from headache

Tension headaches are when you feel a dull pain, tightness, or pressure around your forehead or the back of your head or neck as a result of stress. They can be episodic where they happen less than 15 days a month or chronic where it is more than 15 days a month. It is important that whenever you are stressed that you treat it to avoid feeling discomfort on a daily basis.

What Are the Symptoms of Tension Headaches?

Having tension headaches can mean having mild or moderate pain in the front, top, or sides of the head. These headaches can cause you to have trouble sleeping as you can only focus on the throbbing of your head. Tension headaches can also cause you to feel irritable as you wish for the pain to stop and having trouble focusing on anything but the pain. 

What is the cause of tension headaches?

Stress is normally the key factor to tension headaches whether it comes from work, friends, family, school, or other stress-related issues. Episodic episodes usually come from a single stressful situation or stress that builds up. If you are dealing with stress on a daily basis, that is when these headaches become chronic. It does not help that stressing about your headache and asking questions about the length of this headache, when your medication will kick in, getting your work done on time, or other worries will make this headache persist and get worse. Even when you do not have a headache, a tension headache can come into being when you worry about when the next headache will come, if you can get everything accomplished today before it comes, etc. It can be hard for you to enjoy your life when you know that just one stressful event can literally cause you pain.

How Can You Treat Tension Headaches?

You can first write a diary of all of the moments that have caused you to get these headaches so that you can work with a therapist to ensure how to overcome these triggers. You can also try therapies to change your thought patterns like cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, or yoga. You can also get yourself moving by taking a walk every morning to help recharge and clear your mind of your worries. By trying anxiety coping techniques every day, you will not have to worry too much about tension headaches.

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