That Magical Mystery Chemical Serotonin
Serotonin is a workhorse hormone that regulates moods and impacts processes throughout the body. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, anxiety, suicidal behavior and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Fluctuating serotonin levels can cause blood vessels to constrict and muscles to tighten, triggering both migraines and tension headaches.
What Is An Anxiety Headache
Anxiety headaches happen along with a feeling of anxiety. Having a headache may make you anxious. Or a headache can be a physical symptom of your anxiety.
Doctors believe the two can be linked, but they donât understand exactly how.
It may have to do with how the brain works. The cells in your brain that control mood, sleep, and pain use a chemical called serotonin to send messages to each other. When people get migraines, these cells get much more active than normal. That changes your serotonin levels, which may lead to anxiety.
As doctors learn more about how headaches and anxiety affect each other, they can offer better treatments for both. Make sure to tell your doctor about both conditions so you can get the care you need.
How Many Types Of Headaches Are There
Headaches come in many sizes and pain levels, however, there are four distinct types of a headaches:
Serious debilitating headaches are a warning that you should seek medical attention tension headaches, however, are most often just a nagging annoyance, though some can be painful enough to disrupt your daily activities.
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Stress Anxiety Vomiting And Stomachache: What You Can Do
If you or your child suffers frequent stomachaches or nausea, first see a doctor to rule out any physical cause. Physical causes — bacteria, a virus, acid reflux, lactose intolerance, constipation — are usually behind the stomachaches and vomiting of younger children.
Continued
Its beyond toddlerhood when you tend to get into the stress-triggered abdominal complaints, says Chris Tolcher, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician and clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine.
Once youve ruled out physical causes, take a close look at how you or your child react to stressful situations.
We all know that our mind influences our body, and vice versa. The science of emotion and stress is starting to catch up with our intuitive understanding of this, Dennis says.
Therapy can help children and adults. But, often theres no need for a therapist. Learning how to regulate emotions more effectively also helps.
The key may be to learn how to look for the silver lining in each emotionally challenging situation before we have an emotional reaction, Dennis says.
For example, perhaps an upcoming job interview or school test would normally make you or your child anxiously fear failure. This fear leads to a cascade of negative emotions, stress, and physical distress. Instead, try to see the situation in a more positive light: An opportunity to share your expertise or enthusiasm, or to learn.
How Emotions Affect Our Body
Why do our feelings sometimes make us sick?
Our lives are filled with emotions, from anger to shame, fear to delight, says Tracy A. Dennis, PhD, associate professor in the department of psychology at Hunter College, the City University of New York.
Each of these emotions causes complex physical responses. When were angry, for example, our heart rate increases, adrenaline flows, blood pressure spikes, and we see red, Dennis says.
These physiological and neuroendocrine changes associated with emotion influence all aspects of our body, including the digestive system, Dennis tells WebMD. These physical responses can start and stop quite suddenly and be very intense.
Dennis says its the intensity of emotions that can send our body into overdrive, producing immediate gastrointestinal distress — stomachaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
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Association Of Depression/anxiety Symptoms With Neck Pain: A Systematic Review And Meta
Zhongyong Liu
1School of Moxibustion, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China
2College of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China
Abstract
1. Introduction
Neck pain has become a common public health problem all over the world, with a high rate of disability, presents a negative impact on the health and quality of life in people, and exerts great pressure on individuals, families, health systems, and social economy . Reportedly, NP was ranked the fourth leading cause of disability next to ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and lower respiratory infection, with an annual prevalence rate exceeding 30% . In 2005, over a third of a billion had experienced neck pain more than 3 months of duration . Preliminary statistics showed that the incidence of NP in China ranged between 3.8% and 17.6%, and it affected nearly 15% of the global population . NP has obvious financial problems and the annual economic losses caused by NP are as high as $5 billion in America, while it can reach $800 million just for the treatment cost per year in China . The prevention and treatment of NP has attracted the wide attention of people from all walks of life and has important practical significance for the study of NP.
2. Methods
2.2. Criteria for Selecting Articles
2.3. Data Extraction
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What Exactly Is A Stress Headache
You have likely experienced many different types of headaches which can range from sinus to migraines. So, how can you tell if your headache may be caused by stress? Tension or stress headache symptoms tend to follow a certain pattern.iii
- A stress headache will normally be a mild or moderately painful dull ache.
- Stress headache pain will often feel like a tight band around your head front, sides and back.
- Your scalp, neck and shoulders may also feel sore or tender.
- Stress headaches can be either episodic or chronic .
- Unlike migraines, stress headaches arent typically aggravated by light, sound or physical activity.
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Can Migraines Cause Anxiety
On the other hand, some doctors believe that experiencing frequent migraines is a sign that a person has an anxiety disorder.
Migraines can be a major factor in the development of a generalized anxiety disorder. Symptoms of migraines that can cause anxiety include:
- Continual pain
- Lack of sleep
- Sensitivity to ones surroundings
Symptoms associated with migraines, such as nausea, can cause anxiety in some people. Sensing that a migraine is coming also may lead to feelings of unease.
Symptoms Of Optic Neuritis
A characteristic symptom is the feeling of tightness in the eyes and eye pain, as well as a sudden loss of vision on one or both eyes, as well as a loss of vision in the middle or a loss of partial vision. Visual acuity is less than 0.1 in 2-3 days.
A few days before the onset of vision loss, the pain in the back of the eyeballs is severe, blurring the entire eye, not being able to see what you are trying to see or gradually missing part of the visual field.
It is characterized by symptoms that are difficult to see during exercise or bathing when the body temperature rises. As a subjective symptom, pain at the back of the eyeball caused by eye movement, and retrobulbar pain is common. If such a subjective symptom appears, it is recommended to consult a specialist immediately.
Post-balloon pain is a condition in which the back of the eye hurts when you move your eyes. This makes it difficult to distinguish colors and makes it difficult to see the difference between red and green colors. Also, a counter-reaction may be impaired, making flickering difficult to understand or a fundus abnormality.
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When To Talk With A Professional
If you have been experiencing dizziness that does not go away or has begun to interfere with your ability to function, talk with a medical professional. In most cases, testing will reveal the underlying reason behind these episodes, and treatment can help reduce or even stop the symptoms.
Sometimes, there is no visible cause for frequent dizziness. This may indicate an underlying condition such as anxiety. If this is the case, you may be referred to a therapist or other mental health professional for treatment.
Complementary Therapies For Headaches
Many people who get regular tension headaches turn to complementary therapies for relief. And there are some complementary therapies that have been shown to be helpful in the treatment of tension headaches. But itâs important to remember that not all complementary therapies have proven benefits, and like other medicines, these treatments have side effects. Some are not suitable during pregnancy or for people with medical conditions.
Itâs always best to tell your doctor if you are using or planning on using a complementary therapy. They can advise you on whether the treatment is safe for you and can be used together with other treatments. They may also be able to recommend a practitioner .
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Managing And Preventing Headaches
Because the majority of headaches experienced by adults are tension headaches, and these headaches are caused by stress, a great proportion of these headaches can be avoided or at least minimized with effective stress management techniques. Additionally, because stress can make migraine sufferers more susceptible to their migraine triggers, stress relief techniques can help avoid many of these severe headaches as well. And, finally, because stress management techniques can strengthen the immune system , those who practice regular stress management techniques can avoid at least some potential secondary headaches by avoiding the health conditions that cause them.
The Root Of All Evil: Stress
Regular life can feel like running around to put out fires without a cooling-off period in between. Trying to function with a headache on top of it is even more stressful.
The American Migraine Foundation says almost 70 percent of people with migraine are triggered by stress. They recommend making a list of known stressors and making a plan to reduce their impact on your daily life.
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How Does A Tension
People experience tension headache symptoms differently. Some people describe tension headache pain as feeling like someone is squeezing both sides of their head together or a band around their head.
You may have pain thats:
- Constant .
- Mild or moderate .
- On both sides of the head.
- Better after you take over-the-counter pain relievers.
Types Of Anxiety Headaches
Doctors don’t have a separate name for a stress or anxiety headache. But the most common types of headaches all have a link to anxiety.
Tension headaches. Almost everyone gets one at some point. When you hear people say they have a headache, it’s usually this kind. Typically they’re not too painful.
Tension doesn’t mean stress in this case, but refers to how the headache feels, which may be like a tight band around your head. It can be triggered by anxiety, but it’s not clear why this happens.
Migraines. These are more severe headaches that can cause painful pounding or throbbing. They can last for hours or even days. Besides pain, migraines can also make you vomit and feel sensitive to light and noise. They’re very common in people who have anxiety disorders.
Cluster headaches. They aren’t as common as the other two. They’re very intense and tend to give you a burning or piercing pain, usually behind the eyes.
They’re called cluster headaches because of how they happen. You might get them a few times a day for a few weeks or months, and then they just go away. They may not come back for months or years.
People with cluster headaches are more likely to have anxiety — typically in the months of downtime between bouts of headaches. Doctors aren’t sure how cluster headaches and anxiety are connected or which one causes the other.
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Are Anxiety Headaches Preventable
Research from 2019 indicates that using preventive treatments for episodic migraine may help you experience fewer and less severe migraine attacks.
Plus, it may prevent episodic migraine from becoming chronic migraine. The study found that the following behavioral treatments may be effective options for migraine prevention:
- relaxation training
While this study is specific to migraine, there are ways you could try to prevent headaches overall.
One such step may be to figure out what tends to trigger your anxiety headaches.
Start by tracking when your headache occurs and whats happening around you at that moment to see whether theres a common thread. Tracking this information over time could be crucial in helping you prevent headaches moving forward.
Another step you can take is to incorporate more of the management tools suggested above into your everyday life. See these tools as preventive rather than just remedial.
Consider inviting more calming routines, movement, and rest into your daily life even when anxiety or headaches are not present.
Prevention can look different for everyone, but it is possible. The key is getting more aware of what affects you, what helps you feel better, and what helps you regain control.
How Do I Deal With A Tension Headache
Since tension headaches are the most common of all headaches, here are three tips on how to deal with tension headaches.
Relax Tension headaches are called this for a reason relaxation and stress relief can help alleviate your headache. While stress is an undeniable part of life, an overabundance of stress can lead to more serious diseases such as high blood pressure or heart disorders. Activities that strain your neck and back should be curtailed and stretching breaks should be a regular part of your work day.
Fix Your Workplace Ergonomics A headset for your telephone, proper monitor positioning for your computer, a desktop riser that lets you work while standing. In addition, make sure your eyeglasses and contacts prescription are current.
Stretch Your Muscles Stretching is a great way to release tense muscles in the neck. Try stretching with a general exercise program designed by a trainer or physical therapist that is specific to your needs.
Headaches can be inconvenient and painful. Talk with your physical therapist today to see if your headaches are stemming from neck pain or stress and learn how to treat them effectively! Contact SportsCare Physical Therapy today.
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How Anxiety Causes Back Pain: And How To Stop It
- Anxiety, especially chronic anxiety, commonly leads to back pain
- Muscle tension may be the primary cause, but there are other supplementary anxiety symptoms that could also cause back pain
- Simple lifestyle changes can reduce some of the back pain
- One simple change: posture, which can be affected by anxiety in several ways
- Eliminating back pain from anxiety, specifically, traditionally requires anxiety treatments
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