Posted on: April 30, 2007
Now You Know ...
Who or what to blame for failure to calm chronic headaches? It could be depression
By CTW Features
Image courtesy iStock Photo
Women with chronic headaches tend to be saddled with a host of other problems, namely depression and fatigue, according to a study published in the journal Neurology, published by the American Academy of Neurology. And dealing with these other issues could complicate treatment of headaches, especially migraines.
“Painful physical symptoms may provoke or be a manifestation of major depression in women with chronic headache, and depression may heighten pain perception,” according to study author Gretchen Tietjen of the University of Toledo Health Science Campus.
The study of 1,032 women at headache clinics across the country showed that chronic headache patients, especially migraine sufferers, were four times more likely to report a host of problems, ranging from lower energy, insomnia, nausea, dizziness, pain during sex, and pain in the stomach, back, arms, legs and joints. Depression symptoms jumped significantly for women who reported other severe symptoms, the study says.
