Last updated on February 1st, 2023 at 12:52 pm
Do headaches make you dumber? Whilst most headaches are harmless, there is growing evidence that some kinds may be harmful to your brain in the long term…
A headache can put you through a lot of pain. But are there any lasting effects to getting headaches? There are some people who experience a brain fog along with getting their migraine. This brain fog can affect everything from memory to intelligence.
The short answer to the question whether headaches can make you dumber is, yes they can. Chronic headaches in particular can have a long lasting effect on how your brain functions.
A brain fog is something that can last for days after your migraine dissappears as well. The good news is that there are things you can do to ease yourself, should you get a migraine.
Do Migraines Cause Memory Loss?
The brain fog associated with migraines, is also associated with memory loss as well. There are various symptoms that are associated with a migraine brain fog. These include:
- Light sensitivity
- Photo phobia
- Dizziness
- Emotional changes
- Lethargy
Needless to say, these symptoms can have an effect on how you function through the day. However, this brain fog is only temporary.
While your brain fog lasts, you may have trouble with memory as well. There are people who report having a hard time with saying certain words, or recalling certain things.
Note that these symptoms are common, and there’s nothing to worry about. In general, subjective cognitive decline has been seen in many migraine patients.
It should also be noted that people complain of issues with their memory, as well as attention, when dealing with headaches. If you want to know what happens during a headache, you should better understand the body during a migraine.
There are also rare cases involving acute confusional migraine. In cases involving ACM, patients report feeling confused, agitated, disoriented, and face problems with memory and speech.
While there are those who contribute the pain associated with headaches as the reason behind why people have problems with their memory. This has not yet been confirmed to be a fact.
It has often been seen that the brain fog associated with headaches, which can last for a few days after the headache, is what causes issues with memory.
Difference Between Migraine Brain vs Normal Brain
Your brain, when you’re experiencing a headache, is different from when normal. Knowing the link between the brain and migraines can better help you to understand what is happening in your body.
Researchers are of the opinion that headaches are a disorder that is neurological. There are also genetic links associated with headaches.
This means that is headaches are more common in your family, then you’re more likely to get them too. It’s important to note that researchers don’t yet understand everything associated with headaches.
But what they do know is that it’s a trigger that causes a headache. The nerve cells that are present in the brainstem need to be triggered first.
This can happen due to various reasons. Some of them include:
- Low magnesium levels
- Abnormal channels of calcium on the neuron’s surface
- Lack of sleep
- Lack of food
- Dehydration
- Changes that are mitochondrial
- Genetic issues
When the neurons are activated, they send messages next to the trigeminal curves. This is a pain pathway that begins in the stem of the brain.
This pathway then moves towards the face, the teeth, the eyes, the forehead, as well as the sinuses. The pathways also reach the blood vessels located on the surface of the brain, which then either expand or they dilate.
As a result, there is activity on the brain’s surface. This is known as a spreading cortical depression. This then travels from the back of the brain to the front.
While passing over, the blood vessels are constricted, which also limits the flow of oxygen. According to researchers, this cortical depression can be what causes the visual auras that are common among people experiencing headaches.
Can Headaches Kill You?
No, it’s not likely that a headache can kill you. This is as headaches don’t often result in direct brain damage.
However, it’s important to note that the risk associated with cardiovascular events increases, when you have a headache. Those who have headaches are also at increased risk for strokes as well.
Around 10% of all headaches could indicate that there is an underlying condition. This is why if you find that your headache isn’t going away, you should consult a medical professional.
Can Sleeping With a Headache Kill You?
Headaches don’t often cause death. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t any risks associated with headaches.
If you have a headache, you may feel like taking an over the counter medication for headaches, and then going to sleep. This can actually be a great way to deal with your headache.
In many cases, a good night’s sleep is all you need to help you deal with your headache. However, there are also situations where the matter could be more serious.
In some people, a headache could be a symptom of an underlying problem. There are also people who find that the pain and throbbing from their headache is too much to take.
While sleeping with a headache won’t kill you, there are situations where medical attention can enable you to feel better. Depending on how intense your headache is, as well as how long it lasts, you should consider seeing a medical professional for your headache.
Can Migraine Cause Brain Tumor?
An intense headache that doesn’t go away on its own can indicate that you have a serious underlying health condition. While this is very rare, a migraine that doesn’t go away can indicate a brain tumor.
Keep in mind that migraines in general aren’t seen as causative factors behind brain tumors.
What Causes Migraines?
Do you want to know how a migraine happens? It’s important to note that scientists haven’t yet discovered what exactly causes migraines.
However, they do know that there is usually a triggering factor that leads to the onset of migraines. A migraine can be caused by a wide variety of factors.
You could have been overworking, or there could be an underlying issue as well.
Genetic factors can also play a role in people getting migraines.
Usually, it’s been seen that it’s lifestyle factors that play a role in people getting headaches. Drinking alcohol and eating foods rich in tyramine can also trigger headaches.
Tyramine is a naturally occurring substance that’s found in many foodstuffs. They are mainly found in aged food like cheeses.
Aside from what you’re eating and your lifestyle, a headache can also be caused by a drop in the magnesium levels in your body.
Can Migraine Be Cured?
Migraines tend to go away by themselves, usually in a few hours. There are also plenty of 8ver the counter medicine available to you, for headaches.
Taking an aspirin is a common remedy remedy headaches. Many people also get brain fogs, in addition to their headaches.
Generally, rest and medication can help you deal with your headache. If your headache doesn’t go away on its own, then you should see a medical professional.
What Does The Brain Look Like During a Migraine?
The brain experiences changes when you have a migraine. This is as nerve cells present in the brain are first activated through a trigger.
Then, they move next to the trigeminal pathways until they reach the brain. From there, they move back and forth around the brain, causing headaches.
FAQ Relating to Headaches, Intelligence and Memory
You may want to know more about migraines and brain changes. Here are the most common questions that people have, when it comes t9 migraines, intelligence, and memory.
Does Migraine Affect Intelligence?
People who have migraines report a experiencing a brain fog as well. As a result of this, they aren’t able to think with as much clarity as before.
The migraine brain fog could last for a few days after a migraine. This brain fog usually goes away on its own, and is a common experience among people.
While you’re having a headache, the pain could also make it hard for you to think. This is why a migraine can indeed affect intelligence as well.
Do Headaches Affect the Brain?
Headaches do have an effect on how your brain functions. The nerve cells in the brain stem get triggered, in order for there to a headache.
This sets off a chain reaction in the brain, which results in the pain you experience during your headaches. The good news is that usually, the brain returns to its normal state within a short period of time.
But there are people who experience chronic headaches as well. Headaches can also be a symptom of a more serious underlying condition.
For this reason, if your headache doesn’t go away on its own, consider visiting a medical professional.
Can Headache Cause Memory Loss?
People have reported having issues with their memory, when they get headaches. This is also due to migraine brain fogs, which are common among people who get headaches.
While there are people who think that the pain from the headache is what affects memory. There is no one consensus on this.
However, it has been seen that headaches can indeed impair memory. This can be the case with people who experience intense throbbing headaches.
Do Headaches Affect IQ?
While a minor headache won’t affect your intelligence, chronic headaches could have an impact on your IQ.
However, this impact is minimal. It can be the result of not being able to concentrate due to the headache. People who have headaches do experience issues with remembering, thinking as well as reasoning.
This means that headaches do affect intelligence. However, the degree to which this happens would depend on the intensity of the headache, as well as whether it is chronic or not.
