Coping with Morning Headaches

Morning headaches quite an ordinary experience for all people, children or adult. This is pain in various parts of the head, not confined to the area of distribution of any nerve. Most headaches are minor, but because headaches can sometimes be clues to serious problems, they should never be ignored.

Many surveys find that this is such a painful awakening that is closely associated with depression and anxiety which causes annoyance and trouble. These diseases may include brain tumors, sleep apnea, and severe high blood pressure. These are irregular, and the headaches themselves are usually not the main symptom.

The headache itself is not contagious, although the underlying cause may be. The length of the headache varies tremendously, depending on the underlying cause. Headaches should be evaluated by a physician to determine the cause. The type of headache is often apparent from the history and physical exam.

Cluster, migraine and tension-type headaches may produce a headache that awakens an individual in the early morning hours (usually after 4 AM), or is present upon awakening.  Those individuals with chronic tension-type headache are most likely to be awakened in the early morning hours due to the headache pain.

This headache also tends to be at its worst severity at that time of day.  A variety of causes may account for this early-morning pattern to the headaches. Depression is most often associated with chronic tension-type headaches.  Additionally, withdrawal effects from pain medications, ergots and caffeine often produce this pattern. 

Several important physiological changes that occur during these early morning hours can influence migraine and tension-type headache, as well as symptoms other than headache. The most common types of morning headaches usually are not serious but may occur again and again. These are often caused by stress and emotional strain. Most adults have morning headaches for the reason of alcohol, caffeine, or other drug use or withdrawal.

Changes in the levels of chemicals in the body (neurotransmitters), coughing or sneezing, dehydration, dental problems or procedures, such as pain from grinding the teeth or from a root canal, eating or drinking cold foods and fluids, emotional stress, exposure to smoke or fumes from chemicals, including carbon monoxide, eyestrain, fever, high altitude, lower oxygen levels at high altitudes can cause morning headaches.

Medical procedures, such as the after effects of a lumbar puncture (spinal tap), medications that sometimes can cause headaches, muscle strain in the neck, upper back, or shoulder muscles, upper respiratory infections. Although rare, a headache may be a sign of a serious illness. Other symptoms, such as vomiting, dizziness, or changes in vision, may also be present.

Whichever type of headache you get, and whatever the cause, your doctor or physician can explain why you get a morning headaches and how they can be best controlled. Many different types of therapies are available, depending upon the cause of your headaches. These therapies include medication, diet, biofeedback and other stress reduction measures.

Children with recurrent headaches are usually required to have an MRI or CT scan of the head. Reasons for this might include headaches that awaken a child from sleep, early morning headaches, early morning vomiting, seizures, vision loss, or an abnormal neurological exam.

To cure a morning headache is aimed at the underlying disorder. There are new drugs that have been developed for adults with morning headaches. While some of these may be used in children, kids are much more responsive than adults to available, gentle medicines.