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Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

The causes of many chronic daily headaches aren't well understood. True (primary) chronic daily headaches don't have an identifiable underlying cause. Some possible factors may include:

  • You've developed a heightened response to pain signals.
  • The part of your brain that suppresses pain signals isn't working properly.

Other frequent headaches may be caused by various underlying diseases or conditions, including:

  • Inflammation or other problems with the blood vessels in and around the brain, including stroke
  • Infections, such as meningitis
  • Intracranial pressure that's either too high or too low
  • Brain tumor
  • Traumatic brain injury

Many people who have frequent headaches are actually experiencing a rebound effect from taking pain medication too often. If you're taking pain medications — even over-the-counter analgesics — more than three days a week (or nine days a month), you're at risk of developing rebound headaches.

Risk factors Symptoms
References
  1. Halker RB, et al. Chronic daily headache: An evidence-based and systematic approach to a challenging problem. Neurology. 2011;76:S37.
  2. Chronic daily headache and chronic migraine. American Headache Society. http://www.americanheadachesociety.org/assets/1/7/NAP_for_Web_-_CDH___Chronic_Migraine.pdf. Accessed Dec. 3, 2011.
  3. Chronic daily headache. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_Sheets/Chronic_Daily_Headache. Accessed Dec. 3, 2011.
  4. Boes CJ, et al. Headache and other craniofacial pain. In: Bradley WG, et al. Neurology in Clinical Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Butterworth-Heinemann Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7506-7525-3..50111-4&isbn=978-0-7506-7525-3&sid=1244789901&uniqId=307655043-3#4-u1.0-B978-0-7506-7525-3..50111-4--cesec76. Accessed Dec. 3, 2011.
  5. IHS Classification ICHD-II: Chronic tension-type headache. International Headache Society. http://ihs-classification.org/en/02_klassifikation/02_teil1/02.03.00_tension.html. Accessed Dec. 2, 2011.
  6. IHS Classification ICHD-II: New daily persistent headache (NDPH). International Headache Society. http://ihs-classification.org/en/02_klassifikation/02_teil1/04.08.00_other.html. Accessed Dec. 2, 2011.
  7. IHS Classification ICHD-II: Hemicrania continua. International Headache Society. http://ihs-classification.org/en/02_klassifikation/02_teil1/04.07.00_other.html. Accessed Dec. 2, 2011.
  8. Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/headache/detail_headache.htm. Accessed Dec. 2, 2011.
  9. Goadsby PJ, et al. Headache. In: Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Online. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=9094791. Accessed Dec. 1, 2011.
  10. Bigal ME, et al. Obesity and chronic daily headache. Current Pain and Headache Report. Published online Nov. 11, 2011.
  11. Ahmed K, et al. Experience with botulinum toxin type A in medically intractable pediatric chronic daily headache. Pediatric Neurology. 2010;43:316.
  12. Headaches and CAM. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/pain/headachefacts.htm. Accessed Dec. 3, 2011.
  13. Meditation: An introduction. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm. Accessed Dec. 3, 2011.
  14. Vargas BB, et al. The face of chronic migraine: Epidemiology, demographics and treatment strategies. Neurology Clinics. 2009;27:467.
  15. Rains J. Sleep disorders and headache. American Headache Society. http://www.achenet.org/resources/sleep_disorders_and_headache/. Accessed Dec. 2, 2011.
  16. Swanson JW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 10, 2011.
DS00646 March 15, 2012

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