Depression is much more common among people who get migraines[1] than those who aren't affected by the headache condition, according to a new study.


More than 12 percent of women with migraine also have depression, compared with 5.7 percent of women who don't get migraines, found researchers from the University of Toronto. And 8.4 percent of men with migraine have depression, compared with 3.4 percent of men who don't get migraines.


More than 67,000 Canadians participated in the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey, data from which was used for the new study.


Researchers found that age is a huge factor in the depression-migraine association, with younger people with migraines having a much greater odds of depression than older people. Specifically, women younger than age 30 were six times were more likely to develop depression than migraineurs ages 65 and older. People with migraines who were also unmarried, or who had problems doing every day tasks, were more likely to have depression.


Suicide ideation among people with migraine was also analyzed. Researchers found that 17.6 percent of women with migraine had "ever seriously considered suicide or taking [their] own life," compared with 9.1 percent of women who don't get migraines. And 15.6 percent of men with migraines had the same thought, compared with 7.9 percent of men who don't get them.


"We are not sure why younger migraineurs have such a high likelihood of depression and suicidal ideation[2] . It may be that younger people with migraines have not yet managed to find adequate treatment or develop coping mechanisms to minimize pain and the impact of this chronic illness on the rest of their lives," study researcher Meghan Schrumm, a former graduate student at the university, said in a statement. "The much lower prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation among older migraineurs suggests a promising area for future research."


While the findings, published in the journal Depression Research and Treatment[3] , show an association between depression and migraine, they do not prove that migraines cause depression, or vice versa. It's not yet definitively clear if experiencing chronic pain from migraines could then lead to depression, or if the brains of people with depression are hardwired also for migraines. However, there has been research[4] showing that people with migraines do have a higher risk of later developing depression, including a Brigham and Women's Hospital study presented at a meeting last year of the American Academy of Neurology, that showed women with migraines[5] have a greater risk of developing depression than their migraine-free counterparts.



"We don't want to scare patients, and we know that migraine sufferers suffer a lot because of the migraines themselves," Dr. Tobias Kurth, the author of that study and a neuroepidemiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, previously told HuffPost. "But this highlights the need [for doctors and patients] to talk about the possible risk of depression."

[6]



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  • Sleeping In


    It may not be surprising that skimping on shut-eye can cause a migraine -- but so can binging on sleep on your days off. "The migraine brain likes things to be as normal and reliable and routine as possible," Buse says. And that includes your sleep schedule -- getting too much or too little sleep, or experiencing jet lag, can trigger a migraine attack. "We always advise people to try to wake up at the same time every day, even on Saturday and Sunday," she says. It sounds tough, but it's worth it -- not only can you stave off headaches by keeping your weekend bedtime and wake-time within an hour or so of your weekday schedule, but it also will help your sleep. Shifting your body clock several hours at the end of every week forces the body into a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/social-jet-lag-weekend-harm-health_n_1507396.html" target="_blank">so-called social jet lag</a>, or stationary jet lag, that can cause sleep and health problems down the line.




  • The Letdown After Stress


    It makes sense that stress is a migraine trigger for many people -- but, turns out, so is the period of relaxation right after. The body's stress response increases levels of various chemicals that then drop off once we calm down. That chemical change could be what causes the so-called "letdown" or "weekend" migraines. This explains why an attack might strike on the first day of vacation, the day after you quit a stressful job or the beginning of your honeymoon, Buse says. In fact, according to research she presented at the 2011 American Neurological Association's annual meeting, people have a 20 percent increased likelihood of having a migraine in the 12 to 24 hours after their mood shifts from "sad" or "nervous" to "happy" or "relaxed." This underscores the importance of managing stress effectively as it's happening, Buse says: "It's really tough to do, but incredibly important."




  • Rain


    While there hasn't yet been any definitive research linking migraines with the weather, anecdotally speaking, patients often report getting more migraines on rainy days, Silberstein says. While you can't control the weather, you <em>can</em> take extra care to avoid other triggers on rainy days.




  • Estrogen Fluctuations


    Fluctuations in estrogen -- whether that be menstruation, coming off birth control pills, pregnancy, the time right after delivering a baby, menopause or taking oral contraceptives with changing doses throughout the month -- can trigger migraines. What's more, they can also lower your migraine threshold, meaning you're more susceptible to <em>other</em> triggers. If you find you're getting migraines between ovulation and menses, you might want to talk to your doctor about taking an extended oral contraceptive, Buse suggests, which can eliminate 75 percent of these hormonal periods.




  • Food


    The jury is still out on many of the foods people report triggering migraines. But while the science isn't conclusive, Buse says foods containing tyramine (including red wine, aged cheeses, certain processed meats and pork, to name a few) and tannins (including red wine, tea, coffee and apple juice), <em>may</em> cause an attack. Other food additives, including MSG, aspartame and nitrites, could be headache culprits, though, again, much of the data is anecdotal and not scientific at this point. In people with celiac disease or an allergy, gluten can also cause migraines. Keeping a diary can help you to pinpoint what foods you think could be setting off headaches for you. "One person will have one food be a problem and another person will say that doesn't happen with them," Buse says. But while avoiding a suspected trigger food might be helpful, she advises speaking to your doctor before making any extreme diet changes in the name of migraines.




  • Your Co-Worker's Perfume


    That strong scent is more than annoying -- for some migraine sufferers, it's enough to set off an attack. Sensory stimuli like bright lights (including the sun, computer screen or movie theater screen glare), strong smells (like perfume or cigarette smoke) and loud noises can all be headache culprits, Buse says. Some stimuli you can't do much about, but she suggests wearing sunglasses outdoors year-round if light is a problem and asking friends and co-workers to go easy on the perfume, if possible.




  • Drinking Coffee (And Not Drinking Coffee)


    This one works both ways: Too much caffeine can trigger a headache and, for heavy drinkers, <em>not</em> getting your fix can also set off your migraines. This might also be the culprit for your weekend headaches if you're guzzling coffee all week at the office and skipping it at home (or sleeping past your morning jolt), Silberstein says. To avoid caffeine-related migraines, Buse recommends people cap their daily intake at 200 mg (about the amount in a cup of coffee). Drinking more than that now? Taper off slowly to avoid withdrawal headaches.




  • Happy Hour


    The body metabolizes alcohol into acetate, which might cause a migraine, Silberstein says. To avoid the morning-after pain, he suggests drinking only in moderation, taking an an Aleve or Motrin before you drink and consuming food with your alcohol. While all alcohol can trigger migraines, Buse says dark-colored liquors, such as tequila and bourbon, and red wine anecdotally seem to be worse -- though there isn't hard data to back that up.




  • Sex


    According to Buse, physical exertion -- including sex -- can trigger a headache. While the exact cause of exercise-induced migraines isn't totally understood, it could be a chemical change in the brain, especially among those who are out of shape, or it could be that the very early stages of the attack have already begun, meaning the nervous system might be extra sensitive, she explains. The good news is that <em>regularly</em> breaking a sweat can often be a successful way to reduce the number of migraine attacks you experience. "If you exercise on a regular basis, the body makes its own painkillers," Silberstein says. (Even better, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/13/sex-migraine-pain-study_n_2819196.html" target="_blank">one study published earlier this year</a> found that sex can relieve migraine pain for some people.) If the impact that comes with some exercise seems to be the problem, Buse suggests trying swimming, biking or yoga instead.




  • Skipping Lunch


    Again, routine is key for migraine sufferers. Skipping a meal or fasting can set off a headache, Silberstein says. We don't know exactly why, he explains, but it might have something to do with low glucose levels. Either way, it's important to eat regularly when possible to avoid an attack.