The Daily Grind

The stress of a major life event — the birth of a baby, the death of a loved one, a career change, a divorce — is undeniable. But it's not necessarily this type of stress that triggers headaches.

The body often draws on unknown reserves of strength to deal with a crisis. Instead, it's the everyday irritants — searching for lost papers, sitting in traffic, tolerating petty annoyances at work — that may erode your ability to cope. For some people, this triggers headaches.

Stress hormones can alter the level of certain chemicals in the brain, which may contribute to headaches as well. If you tense your muscles, grind your teeth or stiffen your shoulders in response to stress, you may only make your headaches worse.