Headaches And Depression – What’s The Connection?
"I do not remember whether I have a migraine headache because of depression or I was depressed about my migraine headache" A client joked to me.
It doesn't matter if it is a joke or not. Depression and headaches are always interlinked .
When you first get the pain one tend to say of course she is depressed because she is in pain. But it is not the only reason.
Chronic depression is nothing but depression lasting more than six months and it is not because of any depressive episodes like death of loved ones etc. A recent study has suggested that 67% of people who suffers from migraine headache also suffer from chronic depression.
This number is too high to be ignored. Keep in mind that this study was evaluating chronic depression, not migraine headache.
Another research shows that 40% of people who suffer from chronic depression also suffer from chronic pain like back pain or head ache. Does that mean depression causes migraines?
Moreover, this same study reported that for those who experienced pain with depression, the depression lasted an average of six months longer than with those who did not experience pain.
But other experts do believe that many people report tension headache symptoms but this is actually the symptoms of depression. This is 4 times higher in women than men.
They both share the same platform. Still it is not clear whether depression causes headache or headache causes depression.
In fact, research showed that treating one condition with medication for the other did show some promise. Evidence suggests that both conditions involve serotonin receptors and transporters.
This is the part where I get on my "soapbox" and preach - be careful! Medications to treat both migraine headache and depression can have very serious side effects and can be largely trial and error.
Even FDA has warned about combining certain migraine medicines and antidepressants. Medications for migraine can cause life-threatening condition known as serotonin syndrome.
When you suffer from chronic headache or depression don't be afraid to ask for natural treatment. I do also suggest to speak to a professional about your symptoms.
If you suffer from migraine or tension headaches, I highly encourage you to try my Migraine and Headache relief program. The all natural breathing and relaxation exercises are highly effective and results have been proven!
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Christian Goodman is a best known health researcher and the writer of several revolutionary natural health alternative methods. One of his best popular breakthroughs is his natural migraine headache treatment. You can learn more about Christian on his natural health alternatives blog.