This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Howell Jarrard about stress headaches. Dr. Jarrard is an Assistant Professor of Neurology and a neurologist specializing in headaches at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Stress induced headaches are the most common type of headache. Doctor Howell Jarrard is here to talk about these headaches. Doctor Jarrard is an Assistant Professor of Neurology, and he's a neurologist specializing in headaches at MUSC. Doctor Jarrard, why does stress sometimes cause a headache and what is really going on in the body in this scenario that triggers these headaches?
Dr. Jarrard: You know, we think stress probably causes headaches in a couple of different ways. One of the most common ways is that when somebody is stressed, they have increased muscle tension throughout their body. So, they'll shrug their shoulders up a little bit more and not have as good of posture, have increased jaw clenching, and this can secondarily irritate their muscles and cause headache. And perhaps the second reason is that stress can actually, indirectly or even directly alter the chemical makeup and balance in the brain. And this can in itself trigger headaches as well.
Conner: What's the best treatment for stress headaches?
Dr. Jarrard: I think the best treatment depends on the frequency of the headaches that the person is experiencing. If they're infrequent, then I think somebody can safely use over-the-counter pain medications. But we do know if somebody has frequent headaches and they're taking as needed pain medications, probably more than a couple of days a week, that it can make the headaches worse and can cause other problems in their body.
Conner: How do you counsel patients who come in and they say they are having stress headaches frequently?
Dr. Jarrard: I first want to make sure I have the right diagnosis. That comes from talking and examining someone. And then I focus really on what is the frequency. Low frequency headaches, we try to just find something to take as needed. And perhaps if it is very high frequency, we talk about dealing with stress and sometimes even adding a daily or preventive medication.
Conner: What can be done to help prevent stress headaches?
Dr. Jarrard: You know, there's a lot of non-medical and medical approaches specifically with stress. We know this can flare up what we call comorbid mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. And so, I think it's always important to seek counseling and therapy. And then there's also other non-medication approaches. Things like meditation, mindfulness, prayer, even yoga has evidence to help the body deal with this stress.
Conner: What are some of the lifestyle tips that you often share with your patients, just about headaches in general, reducing headaches.
Dr. Jarrard: Yeah. So, people that have frequent headaches, we've found that they like a boring lifestyle. And what I mean by that is they like to eat regularly at regular times. They like to go to sleep and wake up at the same time regularly. They like exercise, specifically walking or running or cycling, and they like people to stay well, well hydrated throughout the day.
Conner: Sometimes people find themselves in a tough situation in their everyday life, and they do have a good bit of stress. When is it time to see a doctor for help with these headaches?
Dr. Jarrard: I think if the headaches are bothering people then I would encourage them to talk to their doctor. You know, some stress we can modify, we can adjust. But there's a lot of stressors in our day to day life that we cannot change. And perhaps that's a reason why you could rely on some sort of prescription treatment for the headaches, even if we think they are being triggered or caused by stress.
Conner: Doctor Jarrard, thanks for this information about stress headaches.
Dr. Jarrard: You're welcome.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
