Can anxiety cause headaches?

Anxiety may be most well-known for its emotional symptoms like high levels of worry, irritation, and feelings of impending doom, but it can also include physical symptoms. These vary from person to person and can include headaches. There are two types of headaches commonly associated with anxiety: tension headaches and migraines.

Tension headaches may commonly accompany periods of high stress or worry. Symptoms of tension headache are:

• Pressure behind the eyes
• Tension or muscle tightness in neck and shoulders
• The pressure that feels like squeezing around the head
• Mild or moderate dull or aching pain

These headaches may only last for a short time or may be ongoing over several hours or even days. Tension headaches may or may not be intense enough to impact your daily life, but being in pain can negatively impact the quality of life. 

Migraine headaches occur in many people who have anxiety, and people with migraine headaches may be more likely to experience anxiety than others. It can be hard to distinguish between tension and migraine headaches sometimes. Migraines can last for a day or more when untreated. The symptoms of migraine are:

• Blurred vision
• Lightheadedness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sensitivity to sounds, lights, and smells
• The aura can be seeing lights, spots, or squiggly lines in vision
• Pain on one side of the head
• Throbbing or pulsing pain

Researchers aren’t entirely sure what causes tension headaches, but some research indicates that stress triggers them. Headaches that come along with anxiety may be a physical response to the emotional upheaval of anxiety. Muscle tension commonly occurs with anxiety, as the body responds to stress by tensing muscles to fight or flee something dangerous. Tension in the muscles may cause neck and shoulder pain, often found with tension headaches. Lack of good sleep can contribute to anxiety and stress and has been linked with migraine headaches.

Prevention is an important factor when approaching care for headaches of any kind. It’s not always possible to prevent them, but you can start to log information in a journal about your headaches that can help you to identify triggers and then avoid them. Some migraine triggers may include:

• Stress
• Poor sleep
• Caffeine and other stimulants
• Hormone changes

When you experience a headache, jot down what your day looked like, what you ate, what your routine was, how you were feeling emotionally, if you were experiencing stress, or if you were experiencing your period.

Practicing intentional relaxation in meditation or breathing techniques, guided imagery, or progressive muscle relaxation can also be helpful. Set a bedtime schedule and try to get sufficient sleep each night. Try to include some exercise, hydrate properly, and manage stress. If it’s difficult to manage these areas, talk with your doctor or therapist about the barriers you’re encountering.