Migraine & Stress: What you should know

Modern life is stressful, and this is not likely to change. Stress may come from anxiety or other mental health issues. It may also show up as physical symptoms, such as neck and eye strain from sitting at a computer.

Stress and migraines are linked. Migraine sufferers often have the following stressors in their lives:

• Morning tiredness

• Worries about work

• Feeling under pressure

• Feeling impatient

• Feeling irritable

Symptoms

There is a connection between stress and migraines. Understanding this will help you to manage them. This may mean you get them less often.

These are usually the first symptoms. They come a little while before the migraine.

• Feeling tired

• Tense muscles

• Feeling irritable

These are the usual symptoms just before a migraine hits:

• Loss of balance

• Problems with word finding

• Dislike for loud noises and bright lights

How stress leads to migraines

Stress can lead to migraines. This is most likely if you have been under stress for a long time. Chronic stress can change your brain function, making it more likely that you will have a migraine attack.

Often, depression is linked to migraines. However, it may be that the actual cause is the stress linked to depression. Some stressors linked to depression are:

• Childhood trauma

• Relationship problems

• Losing your job

• Not having enough money

• Stress at work

• Being stressed for a long time (chronic stress)

• Losing support from friends and family

Chronic stress is linked to both migraines and depression.

Causes and Triggers

Here are some mental stressors that can trigger migraines.

• Pressure at work. This includes deadlines, workload and worries about losing your job. It may also include conflict with colleagues or managers.

• Personal relationships. These include issues with family, friends and partners. It can also include loneliness.

• Financial problems. These include concerns about debt, not having a stable income and having costly outgoings.

• Life changes. These include moving, changing your job, losing a loved one, or making a big change in your life.

• Worries or threats. These include a fear of failure, concerns about your own/your family’s health, and worries about the future.

Here are some physical stressors that can trigger migraines.

• Too much physical activity. This is even more likely if you do not have enough training or time to recover.

• Poor posture. This includes strain from sitting or standing in the wrong way for long periods of time.

• Poor sleep. This includes a lack of sleep, sleeping badly or being unable to sleep.

• Not eating properly. This can affect your physical health.

• Outside factors. These can include very high or low temperatures. It may also include travel across time zones or working at a high altitude. All of these can put physical stress on your body.

Treating stress migraines

You can see what medicine you can take by filling in our survey. This is a good idea if you have had migraines before. It will allow you to prepare in case you have another one.

Here are some migraine treatments Click Pharmacy offers:

• Sumatriptan: This reduces your pain during a migraine attack. It comes in pill form.

• Imigran: This is based on sumatriptan. It comes as a pill or a nasal spray. A nasal spray is good for people who feel or are being sick. These are common migraine symptoms that can make it difficult to take pills.

• Rizatriptan: This targets the changes in the brain that can cause migraines.

• Maxalt Melt (rizatriptan): This is a tablet that quickly melts in the mouth. It is good for people who do not have access to water. For example, people who need to treat a migraine while they are out or at work.

• Zolmitriptan(Zomig): This treats migraine headaches and sickness. It also helps with the dislike of bright lights and loud noises.

Other treatments include:

• Massage. This reduces stress and cortisol levels. By doing so, it may prevent migraines.

• Talking. Talking about your worries to someone can help to reduce your stress.

• Smiling. Even forced smiling can trigger endorphins in your brain. This can help to reduce stress.

• Changing your habits. Make changes to the things you do that make you stressed. If you can, think about changing your journey to work or working fewer hours.

• Getting organised. Organising your tasks can help manage stress. This is because it makes your workload seem easier to cope with.

• Relaxing. Make time to relax and do things you enjoy. For example, yoga can help with stress.

You can combine medicines and other treatments. Doing so will help to manage your stress and your migraines.

Preventing migraines

Try to get into a routine. Do the important tasks first. Make changes to stressors in your daily life, if you can.

Relaxing activities and therapy can also help to prevent migraines. Anything you can do to avoid or lessen stress can help.

Here are some tactics you could use.

• Get organised. Plan your work and rest time. Try to only do one thing at a time.

• Go to therapy. Talking therapies like CBT can help reduce stress. Meditation or yoga can also help.

• Make changes to your environment. For example, dim the lights and reduce triggers such as loud sounds.

FAQ: Stress and migraines

Can stress cause migraines?

Yes, stress is a known cause of migraines. Chronic stress can change your brain function and make an attack more likely.

How does stress trigger migraines?

Stress leads to migraines through both physical and mental issues. Physical issues include poor posture and bad sleep. Mental issues include stress at work or issues at home.

What are symptoms of stress-induced migraines?

Before a migraine, you may feel tired or have tense muscles. When a migraine hits, you may become sensitive to light and loud noises.

How can you treat migraines?

You can take medicine such as sumatriptan. You can also use other techniques such as massage or lifestyle changes.

How can you prevent migraines?

Routines and therapy such as CBT can help. So can changes to your environment to remove triggers where possible.

When should you seek help for stress and migraines?

Seek help if you have had migraines caused by stress. Therapy such as biofeedback and CBT can help you to manage and prevent them.

Seek help if you need to

You may need therapy or medicine to treat migraines caused by stress. A good therapist can help you to deal with them better. You should also take your doctor’s advice.

Medicine can help to treat the symptoms of migraines. Other treatments can help to reduce your stress levels and so prevent migraines. Lifestyle changes and therapy can be very effective.