Headaches And Suicide: Is There A Connection?

Yes, there is a connection between suicide and headaches. Headaches which are constant can make one lose hope in their life and get depressed about life. This depression makes one think about attempt to suicide.

What is a headache?

Headache is also known as cephalalgia. It is the pain or discomfort affecting the regions of the head, face and neck. It is a common nervous system disorder.

There are more than 150 types of headaches and are categorised mainly into two categories. They are primary headaches and secondary headaches.

Primary headache – about 90% of total headache fall into this category. In this type, headache is the main medical problem.

Secondary headache – headache caused by another underlying illness. Example – headache due to eye injury.

Occurrence of headache

Headache affects 50% of the world’s adult population. It is more common in people assigned female at birth than in people assigned male at birth.

It affects the age group ranging from 5 years to 80 years old.

According to a study by the World Health Organisation  (Global Burden of Disease Study 2015), cephalalgia is the sixth cause of disability in the world.¹

What are the main types of headaches?

There are three common types of headaches

Cluster headache 

It is characterised by frequent attacks of headache, which may vary from weeks to several months. The single attack may last from 15 min to 3 hours and is frequent during night-time. It is more common in men. It is seen in the age group above 20 years. The most common trigger factor is alcohol consumption.

Symptoms of cluster headache –

Pain around the eye on one side of the head or face reary or red eye on the affected side runny nose, drooping eyelid on the affected side.²

Tension headache

It is the most common type of headache. It is caused due to constant stress or musculoskeletal pressure around the nape of the neck. It is more common in people assigned female at birth than in people assigned male at birth.

• Symptoms of tension headache 
• Slow onset of pain on both sides of the head
• Pain varies from mild to moderate
• Dull pain often feels like a tight band around the head.

Migraine type of headache

The episodes of headache are recurrent and repeated in migraine. The pain is moderate to severe. It usually lasts for 4 hours to 72 hours. It's three times more common in people assigned female at birth than in people assigned male at birth. Migraine can be associated with aura or without aura. It can be hereditary too.

Migraine has four phases-

• Prodromal phase – where a change in mood or behaviour is seen before the onset of headache
• Aura phase- characterised by sensitivity towards light, noise, smell
• Headache phase – characterised by severe throbbing type of pain
• Resolution phase – the pain lessens and the person may or may not feel fresh after the attacks.

Symptoms may be –

• Headache on both sides or one side
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sensitivity to light ( photophobia )
• Sensitivity to noise (phonophobia)
• Sensitivity to smell (osmophobia)
• Lightheadedness.³

What are the causes of headache?

When the pain receptors of the head and neck are stimulated, it causes headaches. 

Stress

Stress is the most common factor. Every human has stress in his life. Stress creates tension and tension in turn causes headaches.

Hormonal imbalance 

Increased levels of oestrogen cause headaches, which are more present in people assigned to females at birth.

Infections 

The eye, ear, and nose are interlinked with our heads. Any infections of these can lead to headaches.

Climatic conditions 

Extreme hot or extreme cold conditions may trigger a headache.

Dental pain 

Any decayed tooth or mobile tooth in the oral cavity causes pain which eventually leads to headache.

Eyesight problems

People with poor vision strain their eyes to view resulting in headaches around the temporal part of the face.

Muscle pain 

Musculoskeletal problems, the temporomandibular joint disorder,⁴ stiffness around the neck, and bad posture can cause headaches.

Caffeine 

caffeine intake makes the blood vessels constricted. Withdrawal of caffeine can cause dilation of blood vessels resulting in headache.

Alcohol consumption 

Alcohol is the triggering factor for headaches.

Sleep and food habits 

Disturbed sleep patterns and starving for a long time causes headache.^{5 6} 

What is suicide?

Suicide is an act of intentionally taking one’s own life. A person injures and tortures himself voluntarily. Nowadays suicide in the younger generation has become more common.

Suicide intention or act or thoughts can appear in one’s mind by various factors

Drug abuse 

Youth are more driven towards alcohol intake, drugs, and other varieties of intoxication. As we all know, intoxication makes one feel high and low at the same time. Intoxication elevates the mood and is one of the risk factors for suicide attempts.

Stress 

Stress has become a routine part of our life. From a 5-year-old to an 80-year-old 80-year-old experiences stress. Depression takes out our lives. Stress makes us weak and attempt suicide.

Nervous system disorder

Any disorder related to the nervous system, or brain injuries is a risk factor for suicide.

Low levels of serotonin

Serotonin is a chemical messenger that sends messages from nerve cells to the brain. Serotonin helps to keep our mood elevated. It is also known as HAPPY HORMONE. Normal levels of serotonin in our body keep us focused, happy, and anxiety-free. But if the serotonin levels are low in the body it makes one feel depressed. And this depression ultimately leads to thoughts of suicide.

Hence, it is important to keep our serotonin levels normal by exercising, eating foods that elevate serotonin levels, and taking sunlight.

Bullying makes one feel so negative about themselves that they end up taking their life. They self-harm.

Chronic pain can impact mental health conditions and attempts to suicide.

The connection between headache and suicide – constant headaches can make one lose hope in life and get depressed, and depression in return turns to suicide. Headache should be treated. there should be no ignorance of the treatment of headaches and prevent suicide attempts.

Summary

Headaches, ranging from common types like tension headaches to severe migraines, affect a significant portion of the global population, particularly those assigned to females at birth. They can lead to disability and are associated with various triggers including stress, hormonal imbalances, and environmental factors. Chronic headaches may contribute to depression, which, alongside factors like stress and substance abuse, increases the risk of suicide. Recognizing and treating headaches promptly is crucial in preventing associated mental health challenges and suicide attempts.