Does Stress Cause Headache - Literature review Example

Running Head: Does Stress Cause Headache Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code and Name: University: Date Submitted: Introduction Stress is the consequence of an organism’s failure whether human or animal to respond directly and appropriately to physical or emotional threats, whether imagined or actual (Nash & Thebarge, 2006). Stress symptoms universally include a state of alarm that triggers adrenaline production, short-term resistance working as a coping mechanism, and ultimately exhaustion, as well as muscular tension, irritability, inability to concentrate and a number of physiological reactions for instance elevated heart rate and headache (Nash, 2008; Nash & Thebarge, 2006). It is, therefore, arguable that stress in one of the major causes of headaches. This article will detail some of the papers written by researchers and peer reviewed to ascertain whether stress assuredly does cause headache. Many people wonder if headaches are unquestionably a direct result of stress. The answer to this question may be is yes, no, and maybe depending on the works of respective researchers. It is essential to classify the researchers in a way that they portray and support similar arguments in support or negating the aspect that stress causes headache (Nash & Thebarge, 2006). From the analysis of this topic, there are three types of headaches analyzed to give an overview of whether stress is a factor or not with two of them, not caused by stress primarily, and the other one caused by stress they include Migraine Headaches, Secondary Headaches and Tension Headaches respectively (Nash, 2008). However the majority of papers ascertained for this research have the same conclusion, that stress causes headache but they also add that stress is not the only cause of headache but a contributing factor. The papers highlights on Tension Headaches as the main type of headache caused by stress at different levels. The papers in this context summarize that Tension Headaches are headaches, also termed as “stress headaches.” They are experienced periodically by at least one-third of all adults (Lushington, 2009; Nash & Thebarge, 2006). They involve the two sides of the head and normally feel like tightness at the back of the neck or forehead. Todd (2005) adds that they are not usually debilitating; individuals with tension headaches can usually go about their activities. Becker (2009) reflects that those experiencing them usually do not experience them more than once a month, to anecdotal degrees. Wang (2007) says that in addition, as they suggest, they are thought as caused directly by stress. There is a general conclusion from the peer-reviewed papers that Tension headaches are the most common among adults (Barton & Blanchard, 2005). Lushington (2009) says that they are referred commonly to as stress headaches. Becker (2009) reflects that a tension headache at times appear periodically or episodic, with a period of less than 15 days in a month, or may at times be chronic, appearing in more than 15 days in a month. An episodic tension headache description is a mild to moderate band-like pain, which is constant, or pressure around the back of the head or forehead. Cathcart Et al. (2010) emphasizes that stress is the most commonly reported cause of an episode of tension-type headache. However, the main causal significance is not demonstrated experimentally. Stress triggers tension-type headache through the bodily hyperalgesic effects on sensitized pain pathways in tension-type headache sufferers. Becker (2009) argues that it is possible to test this hypothesis partially by examining immediate pain sensitivity in an experimental model of tension-type headache sufferers. Todd (2005) says that the researchers use approaches, which measure Pericranial muscle tenderness as well as pain thresholds at the head, finger and shoulder in tension-type headache sufferers (Barton & Blanchard, 2005). In general, conclusion is that stress causes headaches only that its level is what causes the varying severity of the headache (Chen, 2009; Nash & Thebarge, 2006). From these papers, the severity of a headache caused by stress, increases significantly with the frequency. Chronic headaches caused by stress come and go over a long period (Nash & Thebarge, 2006). Davis (1998) argues that the pain is usually exceedingly throbbing affecting the top, front or sides of the head. Although the pain varies in intensity along the day, the pain is usually present. Chronic headaches caused by tension do not affect balance, vision or strength (Davis, 1998). Cao (2007) in his study argued that migraine headache could easily transform into chronic daily headache (CDH) after a period. Although several factors for the progression of migraine to CDH are identifiable, the biological basis of the same transformation is unknown (Todd, 2005). In this case, the stressful life events consequences are some of the risk factors associated with the migraine development to CDH. Martin (1997) argues that this is because of brain processes involved within the head. The overlap in both cellular and neural circuitry events occurring with stress, and migraine bestows insight into mechanisms, which may lead to CDH (Chen, 2009; Nash & Thebarge, 2006). Lushington (2009) adds that particular attention is on the effect of stress on peripheral as well as central Neuroimmune interactions, which can facilitate the process of pain signaling (Barton & Blanchard, 2005). Martin (1997) argues that these interactions are among others de granulation of mast cells particularly in the durra, causing the general sensitization of afferent neurons, and activating the glial cells within the human brain, which leads to central sensitization. Dach (2008) says that the main hypothesis of the studies espouse that the biological processes happening during migraine headache experiences are directly impacted by excessive stress, resulting in threshold reduction for induction of headache as well as the transformation of migraine to CDH (Nash & Thebarge, 2006). From the papers, about 30%-80% of the U.S. adult population suffers from sporadic tension headaches; roughly, 3% suffer from chronic tension headaches. Chen (2009) argues that women also are twice likely to suffer from headaches caused by stress as men. This is a powerful indication that stress is a significant cause of headaches (Nash & Thebarge, 2006). Chen (2009) adds that from the latest research release in U.S. women have many sources and causes of stress than men. They succumb to many stressful situations that men meaning that they are highly and more susceptible to stress than men are (Barton & Blanchard, 2005). Dach (2008) says the Research designs, in these sample peer-reviewed papers, which find a relationship between stress and headache evaluates mostly the young subjects and tend to employ large sample sizes. Reynolds & Hovanitz (2000) arguable concentrate on life stress found to have a substantial relation with headache frequency. The purpose of their study was to evaluate the existing relationship between life stress and headache frequency. They also consider age and gender differences that may be present and contributing to either of the two elements in the relationship. Chen (2009) reflects in his findings, Negative life event stress associates to high-headache frequency. Davis (1998) study finds that the relationship between the respective variables are stronger in women than in men meaning that stress in women is the foremost cause of headaches. Chen (2009) argues that there is a general argument in these papers that there is no single cause precisely for tension headaches. In addition, this type of headache is generally not an inherited trait running in families. Dach (2008) adds that in some people, headaches weighty causes are tightened muscles particularly in the back of the neck as well as the scalp caused by stress (Barton & Blanchard, 2005; Todd, 2005). The papers have a general argument that stress cause headaches only that the sources of stress and different and cause headaches at varying levels and severity. Fatigue as per the great works of literature are crucial sources of stress, which leads to headaches. Bottos & Dewey (2004) is a masterly example of these research studies. They investigate the associations between perfectionism, daily hassles, and the experience of chronic headache in university students. Campbell (2009) research details that Headaches are extraordinarily common especially among university students because students regularly report higher number of hassles in their university education, which adds to their stress, associated with the increased headache activity. Martin (1997) also suggests that individuals relatively higher in perfectionism appraise many situations as hassles; therefore, this dispositional characteristic constitutes a risk factor, which makes them highly susceptible to chronic headaches. Chen (2009) argues that inadequate rest is a principal cause of stress and ultimately leads to headaches. He highlights this with example from the research indicating the highly active individuals as more susceptible to various forms of headache developments. Davis (1998) papers in this study confirm this and detail much more on the differences in stress owing to inadequate rest. From the Holm (1997) research, inadequate rest has always featured as a significant stress contributor. The brain of a human being deserves a rest after a long day’s operation (Barton & Blanchard, 2005). From the studies, lack of adequate rest leads to stress in the brain cells and ultimately contributes to headache. Nash (2008) espouses the concept of stress as linking to the chronic headache with a study on people. Chen (2009) argues that the derivative of the study denotes that the most active people in a daily life have a higher probability of undergoing stressful moments in the event of straining themselves. Holm (1997) argues that this is what leads to frequent headaches following stressful moments and inadequate rest. Mental stress relatively known as depression is a significant cause of headaches basing on the Campbell (2009) research paper. Tension-type headache is common in many situations with individuals experiencing socioeconomic struggles (Nash & Thebarge, 2006). Holm (1997) says that this leads to psychological stress as well as weak coping mechanisms initiating and propagating physiological pain through the activation of second messengers relatively in downstream substrates, which are involved in pain (Chen, 2009; Thomas, 2009). Cao (2007) research reflects that tension-type headache happens to be the most and continues to thrive among individuals who experience difficult financial conditions because of the stress emanating from the same. Conclusion From these papers, the general conclusion that stress causes headaches does not stop at that, there is more to the issue of the relations. Psychological stress is acknowledged generally to be the main contributor to primary headache by many researches. Dach (2008) says argues that stress results generally from any threat or challenge, either perceived or real, to normal functioning. The stress response is the general body's activation of human physiological systems, specifically the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, mainly to help protect as well as restore bodily functioning (Nash & Thebarge, 2006; Barton & Blanchard, 2005). Chronic activation of different levels of stress response leads to wear and tear, which eventually can predispose the victim to disease (Barton & Blanchard, 2005). Headache and stress relate in many ways. Stress can (a) be majorly a predisposing factor contributing to headache disorder onset, (b) hasten the progression of the headache into a chronic condition, and (c) exacerbate or precipitate individual headache episodes (Thomas, 2009). There is a difficult in understanding stress as a cause to headache (Nash, 2008). However, stress is assumed to affect headache by directly causing pain production as well as modulation processes at both the central and peripheral levels. Martin (1997) argues that in addition, stress can independently worsen disabilities resulting from headaches as well as quality of life. Chen (2009) argues that the headache experience itself also can serve as a stressor, which compromises an individual's health. The research studies in this paper concentrate on issues for instance those that affect a person in a daily life including having problems or difficult family life, having a new child, having more enemies than friends. Others include preparing for exams, going on a vacation when broke, starting a new job without enough capital, losing a job, being overweight, deadlines at work, sports or other activities competitions among others. These circumstances all lead to stressful moments in individuals and out of that, symptoms of headaches are evident and thrive to become particularly severe and later cause chronic headaches (Barton & Blanchard, 2005; Thomas, 2009). Weaknesses of the research studies The objective of the studies is investigating possible psychosocial factors particularly in chronic daily headache through a comparison of people with chronic daily HA and patients with chronic, episodic headaches (Thomas, 2009; Barton & Blanchard, 2005). Although many researches exist on psychosocial factors as causing chronic daily HA, it is decidedly conflicting and none of these studies has compared chronic headache patients to an episodic HA control as well as the non-HA control (Nash & Thebarge, 2006). Out of the studies represented in this paper, the universal weakness is inadequate samples used in the derivation of conclusions in particular studies. Nash (2008) argues that concluding that stress is the cause of headaches among individuals would dare handle a global research, which is not possible (Martin, 1999; Thomas, 2009). The researches have to concentrate on regions, yet there are other disparities in factors, which could be of relevance in causing headache including environmental factors, economic factors among others. Becker (2009) argues that there can never be a general assumption that stress causes headaches globally because it is impossible to have a universal study. Further research areas With the evident role that stress plays in causing headache, there are insinuations for the evaluation of stress as well as the use of stress reduction strategies at different stages of headache disorder progression (Thomas, 2009). Barton & Blanchard (2005) explains that the stages of headache disorder progress are highly dependent on the individual as well as the surrounding environment. Barton & Blanchard (2005) also adds that they could be circumstances under which the disorder progression worsens while in some situations, it diminishes with time. Sand (2007) argues that future research can help to develop a positive empirical understanding of the stress patterns and headache connections as well as the mechanisms, which explain the connections. Becker (2009) reflects that further research also could examine the stress interactive effects and other factors influencing headache disorder onset, progression, and adjustment. Nash (2008) says that despite the high impact of stress-induced headache and the well-established diagnostic criteria existence, knowledge about the disorder is still quite limited. Many are cases where people call the disorder a normal headache (Thomas, 2009). This is because there has not been significant studies to depict the disorder as a serious disorder by examining its consequences and what the disorder yields to over a long time (Martin, 1999; Nash, 2008). In other words, there is still need for further research on stress-induced headache evaluating the long-term consequences (Nash & Thebarge, 2006). Todd (2005) summarizes that many studies only deal with the symptoms and the short-term consequences, which is why further study on long-term consequences is ideal and needs prompt consideration. Martin (1999) suggests that there is also need for further research on the treatment possible for stress-induced headaches in various individuals and at specific times. Becker (2009) reflects that this is because currently there are many studies concentrating on the central and peripheral mechanisms of the disorder but the physiopathology of the disorder still awaits clear elucidation to help recognize some of treatments including the therapeutic viewpoint. References Barton, D. & Blanchard, B. (2005). Psychosocial aspects of chronic daily headache, Journal of Headache Pain 6(1):30-9. Becker, W. (2009). The stress and migraine interaction. Headache, 49(9):1378-86. Bottos, S. & Dewey, D. (2004). Perfectionists' appraisal of daily hassles and chronic headache. Headache 44(8):772-9 Campbell, W. (2009). Headache Triggers in the US Military. The Journal of Head and Face Pain, Volume 50(5)790-794 Cao, L. (2007). From migraine to chronic daily headache: the biological basis of headache transformation. Headache, 47(8):1251-8. Cathcart, S. Et al. (2010). Central mechanisms of stress-induced headache, Cephalalgia 30(3): 285-295. Chen, Y. (2009). Advances in the Patho physiology of tension-type headache: from stress to central sensitization, Current Pain and Headache Reports, 13(6):484-94. Dach, F. (2008). Tension-type headache, Expert Review of Neuro therapeutics, 8(5):839-53. Davis, P. (1998). Stress, headache, and physiological deregulation: a time-series analysis of stress in the laboratory, Headache, 38(2):116-21. Holm, J. (1997). The stress response in headache sufferers: physiological and psychological reactivity, Headache, 37(4):221-7 Lushington, K. (2009). Effect of mental stress on cold pain in chronic tension-type headache sufferers, Headache Pain, 10(5):367-73 Martin, P, (1999). Effects of visual stimuli and a stressor on head pain, Headache, 39(10):705-15. Martin, P. (1997). Effects of food deprivation and a stressor on head pain, Health Psychology, 16(4):310-8 Nash, J. (2008). Stress and headache chronification, Headache, 48(1):40-44 Nash, J. & Thebarge, R. (2006). Understanding psychological stress, its biological processes, and impact on primary headache, Headache 46(9):1377-86. Reynolds, D & Hovanitz, C. (2000). Life event stress and headache frequency revisited, Headache 40(2):111-118. Sand T. (2007). Cardiovascular responses to cognitive stress in patients with migraine and tension-type headache, BMC Neurology, 7:23 Thomas, S. (2009). Higher Prevalence of Psychopathological Symptoms in Adolescents with Headache: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study, The Journal of Head and Face Pain, Volume 50 Issue 5, Pages 738 – 748 Todd, J. (2005). Effects of noise and a stressor on head pain, Headache, 5(10):1353-64. Wang, M. (2007). Relationship between Childhood Physical Maltreatment and Migraine in Adolescents, The Journal of Head and Face Pain Volume 50 Issue 5, Pages 761-768 Read More

Becker (2009) reflects that those experiencing them usually do not experience them more than once a month, to anecdotal degrees. Wang (2007) says that in addition, as they suggest, they are thought as caused directly by stress. There is a general conclusion from the peer-reviewed papers that Tension headaches are the most common among adults (Barton & Blanchard, 2005). Lushington (2009) says that they are referred commonly to as stress headaches. Becker (2009) reflects that a tension headache at times appear periodically or episodic, with a period of less than 15 days in a month, or may at times be chronic, appearing in more than 15 days in a month.

An episodic tension headache description is a mild to moderate band-like pain, which is constant, or pressure around the back of the head or forehead. Cathcart Et al. (2010) emphasizes that stress is the most commonly reported cause of an episode of tension-type headache. However, the main causal significance is not demonstrated experimentally. Stress triggers tension-type headache through the bodily hyperalgesic effects on sensitized pain pathways in tension-type headache sufferers. Becker (2009) argues that it is possible to test this hypothesis partially by examining immediate pain sensitivity in an experimental model of tension-type headache sufferers.

Todd (2005) says that the researchers use approaches, which measure Pericranial muscle tenderness as well as pain thresholds at the head, finger and shoulder in tension-type headache sufferers (Barton & Blanchard, 2005). In general, conclusion is that stress causes headaches only that its level is what causes the varying severity of the headache (Chen, 2009; Nash & Thebarge, 2006). From these papers, the severity of a headache caused by stress, increases significantly with the frequency.

Chronic headaches caused by stress come and go over a long period (Nash & Thebarge, 2006). Davis (1998) argues that the pain is usually exceedingly throbbing affecting the top, front or sides of the head. Although the pain varies in intensity along the day, the pain is usually present. Chronic headaches caused by tension do not affect balance, vision or strength (Davis, 1998). Cao (2007) in his study argued that migraine headache could easily transform into chronic daily headache (CDH) after a period.

Although several factors for the progression of migraine to CDH are identifiable, the biological basis of the same transformation is unknown (Todd, 2005). In this case, the stressful life events consequences are some of the risk factors associated with the migraine development to CDH. Martin (1997) argues that this is because of brain processes involved within the head. The overlap in both cellular and neural circuitry events occurring with stress, and migraine bestows insight into mechanisms, which may lead to CDH (Chen, 2009; Nash & Thebarge, 2006).

Lushington (2009) adds that particular attention is on the effect of stress on peripheral as well as central Neuroimmune interactions, which can facilitate the process of pain signaling (Barton & Blanchard, 2005). Martin (1997) argues that these interactions are among others de granulation of mast cells particularly in the durra, causing the general sensitization of afferent neurons, and activating the glial cells within the human brain, which leads to central sensitization. Dach (2008) says that the main hypothesis of the studies espouse that the biological processes happening during migraine headache experiences are directly impacted by excessive stress, resulting in threshold reduction for induction of headache as well as the transformation of migraine to CDH (Nash & Thebarge, 2006).

From the papers, about 30%-80% of the U.S. adult population suffers from sporadic tension headaches; roughly, 3% suffer from chronic tension headaches. Chen (2009) argues that women also are twice likely to suffer from headaches caused by stress as men. This is a powerful indication that stress is a significant cause of headaches (Nash & Thebarge, 2006).

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