Depression Linked to Daily Head Pain

Friday, July 10th, 2009

Though we often concentrate on the emotional signals of the disorder, depression can also cause painful physical symptoms in patients. The physical complaints of depression can include sleep disturbances, severe insomnia and early awakening, appetite changes, anorexia and rapid weight loss, a decrease in sexual activity, and chronic pain.

One of the most common physical complications of depression is headache. According to a December 2008 NHF online survey, 42% of respondents believe their headaches and depression are connected and 53% believe that their headaches came before the developed depression. Survey results also report that 80% of respondents suffer from symptoms of depression, while only 52% have been diagnosed with the disease.

Though a relationship between headache and depression exists, researchers have not yet determined how they are linked. If you are experiencing depression with your headache, the NHF suggests that you:

• Consult your healthcare provider for a thorough evaluation for migraine and depression.
• Treat depression at its earliest stage to avoid progression which makes treatment more effective.
• Work with your healthcare provider to find a treatment plan that addresses both conditions. Only 32% of respondents reported taking one medication to treat both depression and headache, while 75% treat their depression with prescription medications and 95% take medication for their headaches. Of the 95% of respondents who take medicine for their headaches, 69% use over the counter treatments and 60% use prescription medications.
• Practice non-medicated treatments including biofeedback, relaxation techniques and exercise, among others.

NHF encourages you to assess your needs and seek proper treatment for both headache and depression.

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Tags: Daily, Decrease, depression, Disorder, Head, insomnia, medication, OTC, Pain, Sleep Disturbances
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Behavior Link Between Insomnia and Tension-Type Headache

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

This is certainly not the first time researchers have found a link between migraine and other disorders. The February 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that when migraineurs use sleeping or napping as a coping mechanism for tension-type headache then it reduces individuals’ natural ability to feel tired and can lead to chronic insomnia.

It is common for many headache sufferers to “lie down for an hour” when they are in the midst of a terrible migraine, especially when they experience audio and visual sensitivities that can worsen the pain. It seems like an obvious link that if headache sufferers are forced to sleep during the day then they would have trouble sleeping at night.

On the other hand, there is evidence disturbing one’s sleep pattern can be a trigger for headaches. This is a common occurrence when individuals are traveling or during holidays and normal sleep patterns are subject to change.

So here we stand at a fork in the road. What should you do when you have a migraine: go to sleep or stay awake? Moreover, does sleep cause migraines or do migraines cause sleeping trouble which inadvertently cause migraines?  How can we win?

If you want to take a closer look at the article before responding, click here.

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Tags: insomnia, sleep, tension headache
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