Migraines & Depression: are they linked?
WASHINGTON July 20, 2012 — It seems that everything can be correlated to an increased risk of depression, but sometimes the increased risk is significant enough to warrant an alert. If you are a female and currently experience migraine headaches, or have a history of migraines, you are 40% more likely to develop symptoms of depression. That statistic is enough to give someone a headache. The finding is preliminary though, and requires more study. (Have you ever read research results that stated no more research is required?) It is not clear if the migraine-depression link is causal (migraines trigger depression), circumstantial (it is depressing to live with migraines), or inherent (both illnesses come from the same genetic predisposition). Researchers are also looking into biological connections such as neurotransmitters that trigger both diagnoses. Does this link work in reverse? There is pre-preliminary evidence that women who experience depression might have a higher chance of getting migraines later in life. This less than unsubstantiated link is not considered causal. http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/tango-mind-and-emotion/2012/jul/20/migraines-depression-pain-brain-emotional/
