Exhausted African American businesswoman with face mask having a headache while sitting in a cafe.
For many people, the Covid-19 pandemic is a headache. Literally.
Patients have reported more cases of chronic headaches during 2020 and into 2021. Headaches are a potential symptom of Covid-19. However, other factors contribute to America’s uptick in chronic headaches and migraines: stress and anxiety, environmental triggers, and eye strain from working at a computer all day.
What Are Chronic Headaches?
Chronic headaches are different from episodic headaches in several key ways. First, a person with chronic headaches copes with head pain or migraine symptoms every other day (or for at least fifteen days in a normal month). If you seek a formal diagnosis, your doctor will ask you how long you have had this discomfort. Chronic headache symptoms last for longer than three months.
When near-daily headache pain becomes a part of your routine, it can disrupt your life. And among the general social and economic disruption during Covid-19, many patients with chronic headaches feel adrift. Various environmental and health factors may have triggered chronic headaches during this pandemic. First, fatigue and headaches — such as those caused by Covid-19 — are correlated to headache pains.
COVID-19 and Headaches
In a 2020 study with The Journal of Headache and Pain, thousands of participants reported feeling new or worsening headache pains during the pandemic. Among the participants who did not contract Covid-19, 43% reported that even if they had headaches before the pandemic, their headaches during the pandemic were worse or had different, longer periods of pain. 12% reported a new onset of headaches during Covid-19. The participants who tested positive for the virus exhibited even more headaches. 44% of positive patients reported that their previous headaches continued or were even worse during the pandemic, and 33% had new headache symptoms.
News outlets have reported that some Covid-19 patients struggle with their headache pains for months after they were first diagnosed with the virus.
Mental Health and Headaches
The above statistics may be jarring, but they are not so clear-cut. While headaches are the most common neurological symptom of Covid-19, many patients without the virus also have felt more frequent or more severe headaches throughout 2020.
One potential cause for the rise in headaches may be the corresponding increase in anxiety and stress. The Center for Disease Control explains, “Many of us are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Public health actions, such as social distancing, are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but they can make us feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety.”
These emotional stressors can cause physical symptoms like higher blood pressure and tension headaches.
Eye Strain and Headaches
Alongside the mental health crisis that may contribute to your headaches, remote work could also lead to more eye and head strain. During the pandemic, many people spend more time on their phones and computers than ever before.
With virtual social gatherings, remote holiday and worship services, Zoom classrooms, and remote work, many people spend most of their waking hours looking at a screen. This technology can foster a much-needed sense of community during the quarantine. However, this social connection comes with a cost.
Blue light from your electronic devices can disrupt your sleep patterns, temporarily blur your vision, and make your eyes feel dry or itchy. Optometrists refer to overexposure to blue light as Computer Vision Syndrome. Insomnia and eye strain both can lead to or worsen headaches.
Who’s At Risk For Chronic Headaches?
People who spend extended periods of time on their computers, such as students or remote workers, may feel more eye strain and insomnia. Patients who have tested positive for Covid-19 often experience headache pains as a result of their illness. Additionally, people who are dealing with elevated levels of stress or anxiety are more prone to developing chronic headaches. In another study in The Journal of Headache and Pain from 2017, researchers asked subjects to describe their mental health, headache pains, and other physical symptoms. Participants with anxiety and depression experienced more migraines and headaches than did their neurotypical peers.
How to Cope
Even as the pandemic lingers, your headache need not stick around. If you are coping with chronic headaches, you may try several strategies to mitigate your pain. Eating and sleeping properly can help you maintain a routine sleep schedule and a healthy blood sugar level, both of which may help with avoiding headaches from exhaustion or hunger. Taking regular breaks away from your computer and using blue-light-blocking glasses may shield you from eye strain. While some stressors may feel unavoidable during Covid-19, consulting a therapist and forming a strong support network may alleviate some of your anxiety.
In the meantime, medical researchers continue to study the role of Covid-19 in chronic headaches.
