Why Does My Head Hurt After I Cry?

After a long, stressful, and emotional day, sometimes you need a good cry. Unfortunately, though a cry can make you feel better, you can get hit with a nasty headache afterwards. Why do we get headaches when we cry? Is there anything we can do to stop it?

What Happens When You Cry

When a person cries an interesting chain of events takes place.It starts with a strong emotional feeling, which causes the amygdala (the part of the brain that controls emotional processing) to send a signal to the part of your brain that’s connected to your autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system handles functions that you don’t have any control over, like body temperature, hunger, thirst, and yes—even crying.

The Fight or Flight Response

After a strong emotion has triggered,the autonomic nervous system jump-starts the sympathetic nervous system and accelerates the fight-or-flight response. As part of the fight-or-flight response, your body tries to stop you from performing any nonessential functions, such as eating or drinking. This causes your glottis—the opening between the vocal chords in your throat—to swell up, making your throat feel swollen and tight.

Other symptoms may include an increased heart rate, your lips may start to quiver, and your voice may begin to shake.

And Now the Tears Flow

All of this emotion tells your brain to produce the chemical messenger acetylcholine. Acetylcholine sends signals to the lachrymal glands—small glands that live beneath the bony rims of your eyes.

With these glands stimulated, your eyes begin to produce tears, and they will flood your tear ducts and begin to stream down your face.

Why Crying Makes Your Head Hurt

When a person cries, they are often either in pain or experiencing strong emotions, which puts their body under stress. The body releases hormones, such as cortisol, which spurs several physical and emotional reactions. Crying also engages many facial muscles, which can cause tension around the face, head, and neck. All of these can lead to different types of inner tension and headaches.

At Galvan we’re all about a good healthy cry. We know that sometimes crying has to do with poor mental health, however. That’s why we’re developing a mental health tracker that will revolutionize the way that people track and assess the condition of their mental well-being. Our app will assess your heart rate, your exercise habits, and even the nearly-imperceptible nuances of your voice to help you analyze your mental health on a daily basis. Not only will you be able to share your progress with friends, but our app will give you rewards for good behavior. Download the app below!

Different Types of Headaches

Tension Headaches

This is the most common type of headache after crying. Because crying engages a large amount of tension in the forehead, neck, and back of the head, someone experiencing a long, hard cry will prolong the constriction of these muscles, therefore giving you a big, bad head throb.

Long periods of crying can also affect your sinuses - your tear ducts drain into your sinuses, which means the congestion build up can often be felt as pressure in your cheeks and your forehead as well.

Migraines

Stress from crying has also shown to trigger migraines in those who are predisposed to them. Those who are already at risk for migraines have more sensitive brains that don’t do well with change - and a prolonged period of stress from crying is exactly what your brain might need to trigger a migraine.

Treatment for Crying Headaches

As there’s still a lot scientists don’t know about brains and headaches, there’s no remedy to ensure that you won’t get a headache the next time you cry. However, here are a few ways you can treat a headache after you’ve had a good cry.

Use an Ice Pack or Hot Pack

Whichever temperature you prefer, use an ice pack or a hot pack at the back of your head, neck, or forehead - wherever it feels best and provides the most relief. A hot or cold shower could also work.

Use a Pain Reliever, Such As Acetaminophen or Aspirin

Pain relievers are often a sure-fire way to get some relief from your crying-induced headache. A pain reliever + a nap? Now that’s a golden combination.

A Massage

After a very emotional day, why not treat yourself to some relaxation with a massage? When you go, be sure to ask the masseuse to focus on your head and neck. This can help relieve some of the tension in your head and neck, and subsequently provide you with relief from your headache.

How to Minimize the Severity of a Crying Headache

Of course, the severity of a headache can also be impacted by several lifestyle choices. By choosing to implement the following, you’ll be taking steps to a better, healthier you that is less likely to end up with a headache after crying.

Stay Hydrated

Especially after crying, it’s important to stay hydrated. Although crying is not a source of dehydration, if you were dehydrated prior to crying, be sure to drink a lot of water as dehydration will only exacerbate your post-cry symptoms.

Get Enough Sleep

A good cry will help lower your stress levels in the long run - and after those stress levels have decreased, it can lead to a really good night’s sleep. After you’ve had a good, long, emotional cry, your body needs to reset - and getting some sleep is exactly what you need.

Take Care of Your Mental Health

While a good cry is needed every now and then, it may be cause for concern if you’re crying on an extremely regular and frequent basis. Make sure to prioritize your mental health, and get help if you need it, to be able to take care of yourself.

Use Galvan Health to Track Your Progress

Galvan is an app launched in 2023 dedicated to helping you track your physical and mental health—and rewards you for doing it too! Download it here. This can help you see the impact of crying and headaches on your overall health, and track your progress over time. For more information about Galvan, how it works, and how you can get rewarded for achieving your goals and taking care of your wellness, read more here.