Women who get chronic headaches are also more likely to be depressed, feel tired, and have a wide array of other physical symptoms, according to a new study.
The study examined more than 1,000 women at headache clinics in five states. Of them, 593 had fewer than 15 headaches per month (episodic headaches) and 439 had more than 15 headaches per month (chronic headaches). Ninety percent of the women were diagnosed with migraines.
Chronic headache sufferers were four times more likely to report symptoms of major depression, and three times more likely to report symptoms such as low energy, trouble sleeping, nausea, dizziness, pain or problems during intercourse, or pain in the stomach, back, arms, legs, and joints.
Patients with severely disabling migraines were 32 times more likely to have major depression if they also reported other severe symptoms.
This suggests a common cause of both migraines and major depression. More studies are currently underway to test whether severe headache, severe physical symptoms and major depression are linked through a dysfunction of the neurotransmitter serotonin.