Does stress cause headaches

Answer 1

Yes.

In regard to tension headaches, one of the reactions stress brings is muscle contraction, sometimes even spasm. When the stress causes muscle tension to build up in the neck and scalp, a tension headache can be caused. That is just one reason. You must also think about all the smaller reasons - like not sleeping well, not eating well, etc.. that can bring about a headache.

In regard to migraines, stress can impact you both directly and indirectly. Directly, because the physical changes brought on by stress can impact your body. And as with tension headaches, you have to look at how you are responding to that stress. Sleeping consistently - both by going to bed at a certain time, and by getting the same amount of sleep - helps to prevent migraines, and is significantly important to those who suffer from cluster headaches.

People have also gotten migraines from the ending of stress. Meaning, they might have a particularly hard week, but once they hit the weekend - THEN they get the migraine. This is because of the physical change in body chemistry that happens with stress ends, and your body has to react to a whole new set of changes.

Indirectly stress also has an effect on migraines, because stress as a whole lowers your threshold for any other migraine trigger you might have. For example, perhaps you can normally stand 5 hours under fluorescent lights. Being stressed might lower that threshold down to 3 hours. Or, as another example - you might normally be able to tolerate a certain amount of MSG in your diet without getting a migraine. Under stress, your body might not be able to handle it.