Stress and anxiety are two of the great triggers of many physiological problems, headache among them. Find out what to do if you have morning headaches.
The term “headache” does not describe a specific clinical entity, but is a symptom of an underlying process. The correct word when we refer to this set of discomforts is “headache”, and this refers to all the aches and pains located anywhere in the head, in the tissues of the cranial cavity, in the structures that join the base of the skull and in the muscles, nerves and blood vessels that surround the scalp, face and neck.
As indicated by the World Health Organization (WHO), headaches are some of the most common nervous system disorders in general society. Without going any further, in Western countries it is estimated that 50% of the population suffers from them at some time of the year, although only 20% of patients have especially painful and intense forms at least once in their lives.
In most cases, headache is a benign clinical sign that resolves on its own over time, but it can also be an indication that something is really wrong physiologically in a small percentage of patients. Discover in the following lines what are the causes (and treatment) of headache upon waking, as it is a common form of headache expression.
- We recommend you read: “The 12 types of headache (symptoms, causes and treatment)”
What is a headache?
There are more than 300 types of headaches or headaches, which can be divided into two large groupings. The most common are primary headaches, including tension headache, migraine, cluster headache, chronic daily headache and trigeminal neuralgia. These variants account for 95% of all headaches.
On the other hand, secondary headaches only account for 5% of all diagnosed headaches. They are abrupt in and have a quantifiable specific cause, such as hemorrhage, brain tumor, heart attack, infections in the meninges (meningitis) or excessive use of analgesic medication, among other factors.
Below, we briefly describe two ofthe typical primary headaches in general society: tension headaches and migraines. We will be brief.
1. Cefaleas tensionales
As its name suggests, this type of headacheis closely linked to the tension of the facial or neck muscles. Thus, tension headaches are associated with stress, anxiety, depression or trauma and direct efforts (although in most cases the reason is emotional). These are the types that can be distinguished at the medical level:
- From the paranasal sinuses: they are grouped behind the forehead and on the cheekbones, that is, the structures that occupy the skeletal sinuses at the skeletal level.
- In outbreaks: the pain is localized sharply around one eye.
- By tension: Patients describe this headache as a band that squeezes them on the forehead line.
- Migraine: with symptoms of classic migraine. We will explain it in the next few lines.
With this data, you may already begin to suspect why your head hurts when you wake up, right? In the face of depression, chronic anxiety and stress, sometimes the body does not relax even at bedtime. As surprising as it may seem, these stiffness at the muscular level can cause headaches at many times of the day, including in the morning.
2. Migraines
The term “migraine” is a nightmare for many, because when it arises, it is really bad. Classic migraine causes intense throbbing pain and a “throbbing” sensation in the head, usually on only one side of the face. Often, this characteristic sign is accompanied by vomiting, nausea and sensitivity to light (photophobia). Unfortunately, migraine attacks can last from hours to days, which leads to various problems at work, social and personal level.
The causes of migraine are not fully understood, but they are clearly associated with genetic factors and certain environmental triggers. Changes in the brainstem and their effects on the trigeminal nerve (which transmits sensations from the face to the brain) could be involved in this unpleasant but common clinical picture. We will explore the particularities of this physiological phenomenon in future opportunities.
- We recommend you read: “Types of migraine: symptoms, possible causes and treatment”
Why does my head hurt when I get up?
By exploring the types of primary headaches, we’ve already pretty much outlined where suspicions are going to go at this point. Below, we show you a small definition and framing of the possible triggers of this event.
1. Bruxism
If you remember the tension headaches that we have previously exposed, it is easy to intuit thatbruxism is the cause of morning headache in many people. Bruxism is defined as the involuntary contraction of the mandibular muscles outside of chewing exercise, which causes wear of the teeth and damage to the gums, among many other things. It is estimated that 10 to 20% of the general population suffers from nocturnal bruxism.
When the muscles of the neck and face are in tension throughout the night grinding the teeth, it is normal for the patient to wake up with a characteristic headache. In addition, this is usually accompanied by a ringing in the ear, tooth sensitivity when eating cold foods, feeling of load and muscle tension and wear of the dental structures.
The treatment is simple: go to the dentistand ask that a discharge splint be modeled based on the patient’s dental structure. This will be placed at night between the upper and lower jaw in the form of a mold and will absorb the mechanical stress caused by teeth grinding. On the other hand, the patient is also advised to ask for psychological help, because addressing anxiety on an emotional level is always the best option.
2. Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a nocturnal problem that can be aggravated, as it consists of stopping and continuing the patient’s respiratory flow several times throughout the night. This is a direct consequence of a relaxation of the musculature in the back of the throat (which support the soft palate). This relaxation causes the upper airways to close, which leads to a decrease in oxygen in the blood, when you cannot breathe.
The brain senses this alarming situation, and prompts the patient to wake up for brief periods that they may not remember the next morning. This disrupted sleep and lack of rest can lead to a characteristic headache upon waking. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious disorder, so it should be treated with the help of a medical specialist through assisted therapies, oral devices and even surgery if necessary.
3. Incorrect postures and poor sleep
Along with bruxism, this may be the most common cause of a headache upon waking. Sleeping with poor posture, resting fewer hours than recommended or waking up several times a nightare events that can cause the patient to wake up with headaches and a feeling of chronic tiredness.
Do not worry if you suffer from this condition: in a society where everything goes fast and we have more and more responsibilities, it is common to feel overwhelmed. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and seek professional help, do not get used to pain and discomfort. Most of these situations can be addressed with psychological help, because a specialist can give you the necessary tools to face the daily challenges imposed by life in a healthier way.
Summary
If we want you to stay with an idea among all these lines, it is the following: if your head hurts when you get up, do not worry too much. When we suffer from these types of symptoms, it is common to feel fear and hypochondria, search the internet and assume that we have a brain tumor. In the vast majority of cases, this is not the case.
If your head hurts when you wake up regularly, we recommend that you go to the general practitionerto do an examination and, if possible, to refer you to a psychological specialist. The vast majority of tension headaches, incorrect postures and lack of sleep are due to 2 major social problems today: stress and anxiety. If you master both emotions, you’ll notice a drastic improvement in your symptoms over time.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.