Can stress really cause all this?

[Flippers1956]

Posted on MN a few times regarding this

Husband started having headaches last week

They started after a stressful encounter with family (long ongoing issues)

Headaches didn't really get better, went docs Monday, doc said tension headaches, possibly from stress. Gave him co codamol which didn't help

He's been having disturbed sleep, which obviously then makes him more tired.

He also grinds his teeth at night

He has been having high BP

Has a bad day Tuesday, Wednesday night he sleep very well

Went to docs again yesterday (was already booked in) they sent him to hospital for urgent scan Because of headache and hi BP. This obviously made stress worse

Berore this scenario, his headaches were actuallt a lot better

Got there, we're there for hours docs did a load of physical teats on him, said no need for scan as they were satisfied with everything and didn't have any 'red flag symptoms ' Bloods all OK. We explained all the family situation, and also we are in middle of moving house. 2 docs we spoke to think all to do with stress /tension

Been told to keep an eye on BP- they are ringing him back today to decide if he needs BP meds

Last night he had a bad sleep, woke up with headache, (I heard him griding his teeth before this) he was then tossing and turning for hours with a sore head, and then overturning

Can this all really be caused be stress ?

His head is sore this morning, but not AS bad as it has been. He's gone to work as he said his headaches are better when he's keeping busy

Could the stress of being at hospital for hours on end have caused last night's headaches? Plus the tiredness/ lack of sleep

https://www.nhs.uk/health-assessment-tools/check-your-blood-pressure-reading

@greengreyblue I did actually speak with a doctor this morning at the hospital (from when we went there the other day) he said if the readings are the same he will most likely be put on meds, but he didn't say it was 'urgent '

I lived in a stressful environment and had a lot of migraine headaches and terrible eczema.
As soon as I removed myself from it both improved. I still get the occasional migraine if the stress flares up again but the eczema cleared up and has never come back.

Sorry I keep posting!!

Husbands headaches were much better yesterday, he went to work, ate , we even went for a walk. He went to sleep really early due to being so tired and slept from around 8pm- 6pm

(he's always been one to go sleep fairly early, around 9pm as he's usually at 4 30-5 for work)

He slept well, had a headache a while after waking up, didn't want to eat because it this

Went for eye test , all fine

He came home and has been lying down

He said the pain is about a 3, but he wants to just lay there

He's stressed about his headaches, but I think him lying down, thinking about it, is then making it worse ?

He even said to me the other day he headaches feel better when he's 'doing things'

I feel like we're going around in circles 😟😟

Perhaps it stems from his teeth grinding, this can trigger very painful headaches. Speak to a dentist and get a mouth guard made. It helped me. When I'm stressed I clench my jaw and grind my teeth in my sleep.

Has he considered talking therapy ? To help to about stress and work out a 0lan for the headaches

I'd get him to book in with a dentist who specialises in tmj. The one I went to did an assessment then gave me Botox and the relief from my months of headaches was almost instant.

Can this all really be caused be stress ?

Yes, of course. You have been told this by numerous doctors now.

He's stressed about his headaches, but I think him lying down, thinking about it, is then making it worse ? You sound unsupportive here.

I would encourage both of you to think about the stress and a) try to reduce the causes and b) put stress mitigation in place - meditation, exercise, self-care, good diet and listening to how he feels.

Tooth grinding can cause awful debilitating headaches, I had them due to a period of intense stress when my DD died. I also had other awful physical pain including lots of cramp as my whole body was tense. I couldn’t even eat properly for a time.

I would recommend buying a cheap blood pressure monitor, I got one for about £13 when I had a period of high blood pressure. It was purely stress related. I could have gone in to town to the pharmacy every day for a week as you can get it done for free. The Dr wanted an overall picture but getting to the pharmacy every day was just too inconvenient at the time.

Look online at YouTube for very gentle face massage and stroking, this helped mine a little,

Absolutely stress can cause these things.
I believe I got breast cancer from stress. Controversial but it's what I think

The fact he's grinding his teeth suggests to me this is a psychological problem. This is a clear sign of stress and stress and grinding teeth will both cause head aches. Also the fact he says he feels better when distracted is also a sign it's emotional. I'm a therapist and we see a lot of people who complain of more physical symptoms rather than feeling stressed, down etc. has he got anything going on at the min that would affect his mood, is he a worrier in general? Any tension across his shoulders/neck? Sure signs of worry if so

Yes from my experience stress can definitely cause teeth grinding and headaches.

I went through a very stressful period, I had toothache so had a dental checkup and my dentist pointed out that my back teeth had fracture lines from grinding my teeth which I must have been doing in my sleep I could see them on an X-ray. I was literally grinding them away! I also had IBS, neck pain, migraines, back pain, extreme fatigue.

Once the stress had resolved the symptoms went away.

If it’s not possible to remove a stressor then you can reduce the effect the stress has on the body. Taking time to relax, meditate (even just a few minutes a day), breathing exercises, take magnesium at night (this helps promote deeper better quality sleep and also helps with headaches). Definitely consider a mouth guard from the dentist too. Obvious things like healthy diet, plenty of water, daily exercise and no alcohol (not helpful at all during a stressful period as it massively impacts sleep quality)

There are some really good exercises for jaw tension online. I had similar and worried about what it was. I read a piece of advice that said if it responds to heat the it is probably muscular. Mine did so I spent time doing exercises and relaxing my jaw and it really helped.

Did you get a mouth guard for teeth grinding? What did dentist say?

Stress symptoms are awful, I never knew how bad they could be until I suffered myself. Headaches, body aches, twitches, stomach issues, rashes... they were just the symptoms I had I'm sure there are many more.

Ive been grinding my whole life and have a stressful job and life circumstances. I had a mouth guard from the dentist and broke it in 2 weeks it was meant to last 1-3,years. Dentist then put me on a waiting list for Botox. I have borderline high BP too and on /off meds. It’s not fun

Thank you all for helpful comments

He has thankfully been much better this week🤞 which is a relief

He has been prescribed medication for his high BP

He has has some issues with his family(my in laws) which has been ongoing for years and there was a bit of another 'issue' before these headaches started so we think this may have been the trigger

He tends to hold stuff if and says it doesn't bother him, but we sat and had a chat about it and I think he felt better talking about it

His neck/ shoulders have been very tense and achint so I'm assuming this is part of it all as well, and adding to his tension headaches . He's booked himself a massage for next week

He ended up cancelling his dentist appointment last week die to feeling bad with his headaches, but I am re booking ASAP

Massage is a great way to lower stress levels OP, I hope he feels better soon!

Yes did Physology exam and the coursework was the long term effects of stress on the body.
Nobody is worth upsetting your body and your mental health for.

He's probably pushing his head forward as well, which puts further stress on his neck and shoulders.

Get a shaped pillow from Amazon, as that'll help him lie down in a position that rests his neck, rather than being at an angle either sideways or tilted forward (depending upon whether he sleeps on his side or his back). Using an ice pack wrapped in a thin teatowel or pillowcase to chase the pain around & shrink the blood vessels down will also help, as will making sure he's well hydrated throughout the day.

A good exercise to help his posture, as pushing his head forward is also likely to result in his shoulders rounding forward, is to concentrate upon pulling his arms behind his back and down so that his shoulder blades sit nicely flat against his back, rather than coming out rather like wings. It's normal for this to cause a few pops and cracks in his mid back and, as he makes the effort to pull his shoulders down and back, at the front of his shoulders where the collarbone joins them. He can also stretch his front by leaning as though he's going through a doorway but stopping himself by holding the door frame on both sides, head up facing straight ahead rather than looking down and poking it forwards.

You'll likely notice his posture is quite slumped forwards when he walks or sits - these will help him counteract that.

Getting a nightguard for his grinding (and clenching, he's probably doing that all day long) is worth it, as the next stage is cracking his teeth or spraining the tooth ligaments, which causes the most awful nerve pain imaginable. No crunching ice in drinks, either, and if he bites his nails, he needs to stop and use something for a fidget toy (slightly heavy nut and bolt, for example).

I had terrible headaches following a bout of covid. I was given all sorts of differing tablets by the doctors. In the end someone recommended going to see an osteopath. It was the best thing I ever did! The pain was in some tendons that run around the head & not a typical 'headache' as such which was why the tablets didn't work. I had a course of manipulations and it worked wonders. If I start getting headaches again I do the exercises I was given and it makes them much better