7 Common, Surprising Causes of Headaches

Photo by Marcus Aurelius

You can’t see headaches, although they cause considerable anguish and interfere with your daily life. What’s worse is the shame you feel when you call out sick too often due to one. Life doesn’t stop when you’re in pain, but avoiding common, albeit sometimes surprising, headache triggers can minimize disruptions — while bringing you relief. Here’s what you should know about seven common, surprising headache causes you may not have considered. 

Types of Headaches 

Determining the cause of your headache is fairly easy for some people. For example, certain types of headaches tend to run in families, so if your mom has migraines, you might not be surprised when you experience your first aura. 

The type of headache you have may hint at its underlying cause. Examine the following symptoms to see if they apply to you. 

• Tension headaches generally manifest in feelings of tightness across your forehead and temples. 
• Migraines may or may not involve head pain. When they do, it is typically one-sided and occurs with other symptoms, such as visual disturbances, fatigue, nausea and stomach distress. 
• Cluster headaches entail sudden, severe, sharp “ice-pick” pain. Although they typically fade quickly, they can strike multiple times daily. 
• Trigeminal neuralgia hits as a sharp pain along your temple, cheeks or jaw caused by your trigeminal nerve. 
• Sinus headaches manifest as pressure in the forehead, cheeks or behind the ear and may worsen when you lean forward. 

7 Common, Surprising Headache Causes

Even if you identify the type of headache you have, the precise trigger can remain elusive. Mindfully tune into what’s going on within you and around you, paying particular attention to the following seven factors. Although they are common, you might be surprised to discover how they influence your pain. 

1. Stress

Beyond the fact that tension headaches exist, scientists have discovered a link between stress and inflammation, which contributes to disease manifestation and chronic pain. Far from a mere mental phenomenon, stress causes changes in nearly every bodily system, from your nerves to your muscles and blood vessels, which can trigger underlying susceptibility. 

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to avoid stress, even for the most privileged. The challenge becomes managing it in a healthy way, which is admittedly easier said than done, but oh so worth it. Stress management promotes positive health outcomes overall while lowering headache risk. Some techniques you might try include:

• Focused breathing
• Yoga
• Meditation 
• Walking, especially outdoors 
• Exercise
• Therapy 
• Healthy hobbies, like gardening or knitting 

2. Dental Woes 

Your vagus and trigeminal nerves meet near your jawline, so it shouldn’t surprise you too much that trouble in the neighboring teeth can spur headaches. Tooth sensitivity most often strikes those between ages 20 and 40, not long after many young adults lose access to state-sponsored dental health care or their parent’s plan. Although sensitivity alone doesn’t pose a serious health risk, an unwitting bite of ice cream can activate nearby pain channels, leading to agony. 

Cavities and gum disease pose more severe health risks and can increase headaches. So can bruxism or tooth grinding. Both conditions warrant a trip to the dentist, as your practitioner can fit you with a special guard to wear at night to prevent grinding while you sleep. Treating gum disease early may prevent the development of more serious conditions down the line. Although dental care can be expensive, you may find lower-cost treatment at dental schools. 

3. Visual Issues

It’s unfortunate that eyes and teeth aren’t included in many traditional health coverage plans because these two body parts contribute significantly to headaches. Headache disorders rank among the most disabling conditions globally, and ignoring these common causes has severe economic implications, not only for individuals but for society as a whole. 

Eye strain can cause headaches and arises from several factors, including long hours at the computer. However, nearsightedness plays a role, and leaving it untreated can result in vision loss over time. 

Those who work on the computer can prevent eye strain by practicing the 20-20-20 rule. Set a timer, and every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away — although not another screen — for at least 20 seconds. Those struggling to afford vision care can sometimes find providers who offer sliding-scale fees or contact optometrist training schools for lower-cost exams. 

4. Lighting 

The right lighting may also ease headache triggers for some. For example, the blue light emitted by computer screens can disrupt your sleep patterns, and a lack of shuteye increases your headache risk. A simple screen filter or pair of blue light-cutting glasses may ease your ache.

Changing your indoor lighting choices can also help. For example, overhead fluorescents contain invisible pulsing that can trigger migraines in some. Switching to LED lights, especially in warmer, more amber tones, soothes the nervous system and may prevent some attacks. 

5. Sensory Sensitivity 

There’s nothing wrong with being the sensitive sort — the world might be a better place with more such temperaments. However, some folks have a heightened sensitivity to outside stimuli, which can seem like a surprising cause of headaches to folks who remain blissfully unaffected. 

For example, sensory processing disorder is common among people on the autism spectrum, those with ADHD and anxiety. What’s frustrating is that your triggers may shift. Sometimes, you can handle bright lights and loud noises better than the average bear, when at other times, nearby whispers can pound your head like the thunder of a thousand sledgehammers. Although there is no cure, therapy can help you learn strategies to manage this condition. 

6. Air Pollution 

Although there may not be much you can do about this surprising cause of headaches, knowing how pollution levels affect you can help you take precautions. If nothing else, wearing a mask to filter particulates on bad air quality days may reduce your susceptibility to symptoms. Some folks also take anti-inflammatory medications as preventatives when they know air pollution is high. 

Poor air quality triggers your nervous system and spurs inflammation, leading to head pain. Additionally, certain irritants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), often cause headaches and other upper respiratory distress symptoms like burning in your eyes, nose or throat. 

7. Allergic Reactions 

Finally, allergies can cause headaches, although you might not recognize the association if pollen isn’t your specific trigger. For example, food allergies can trigger headaches, even if you don’t get a stuffy nose and watery eyes. 

The fastest way to determine whether you have an allergy is to see your doctor for testing. However, you can also perform an elimination diet at home. The Whole 30 diet is an example that takes several common food allergens off the table for the first 30 days. However, take note that you can develop sensitivities to nearly any food, including certain cooking oils, types of meat or vegetables such as tomatoes. It can take several diets to pinpoint the culprit.

Self-Care for Headaches 

Self-care for headaches includes lying down quietly in a dark room and using over-the-counter pain relievers. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories include ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen. These substances lower the inflammation that causes head pain. Acetaminophen works slightly differently by affecting levels of certain enzymes that affect pain signaling.

Some OTC remedies combine the two medicines. However, you should know that taking too much of either substance can lead to side effects like liver and stomach damage. 

Additionally, some people find relief from the following holistic treatments: 

• Applying an ice pack to the back of their neck or temples
• Inhaling the scent of lavender — you can buy special essential oil rollers for this purpose. 
• Gently massaging your tragus — the little flap just in front of your ear, as your trigeminal nerve is prominent in this area. 
• Wearing sunglasses, yes, even indoors — unleash your inner trendsetter. 
• Massage
• Gently stretching the back of your neck or yawning wide to stretch your jaw. 

When to See the Doctor 

Many people put off seeing the doctor for headaches out of fear of dismissiveness and invalidation. However, you should seek professional treatment if any of the following occur: 

• Your headaches increase in frequency
• Your headache increases in severity despite over-the-counter remedies
• Your headache is the worst headache you have ever experienced
• You experience other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, loss of balance or loss of consciousness 

Addressing your symptoms with your health care provider establishes a pattern. They may have you track your symptoms or order additional testing, such as an MRI to rule out severe causes, such as a brain tumor. 

Common, Surprising Causes of Headaches

Many headaches stem from one of several common causes. Although they occur frequently, they still surprise people who may not associate certain conditions with the throbbing in their temples. 

Understanding the types and causes of headaches, how to avoid your triggers and knowing when to seek help can bring relief and improve your overall health. Take a mindful approach to your head pain and learn to flourish while avoiding those things that make your skull ache.