Our gut health is closely related to our brain health. Scientists believe there are clues that point to the gastrointestinal system as being a major contributor in the development of certain types of headaches. The most common being, migraine.
Some people will mistakenly refer to these abdominal migraine events as gastric headaches.
The medical community does not describe a gastric headache as a recognized condition.
I know as a migraine sufferer for 20 years that there is a link to our gut health and how the pain is experienced throughout the body.
The brain-gut axis acts as a pain pathway and an indicator of where the problem lies within the spectrum of head pain. So when a person describes a gastric headache, they could be referring to a migraine or head pain that is linked to gastrointestinal system disorders.
The Link of Gastric Issues and Head Pain
The International Headache Society (IHS) classifies a migraine as with or without aura and may involve vomiting or nausea.
Some studies dive deeper into the link of migraine pain and gastrointestinal disorders that results in vomiting. They found that some people will wrongly label these as gastric headaches. Others may experience non migraine headaches from a gastric issue that they incorrectly refer to as gastric headaches.
The IHS links abdominal migraine, as an event that occurs mostly in children, where pain occurs in the gut but not in the head.
The Brain-Gut Barrier
The understanding of gastric headaches begins with looking into the complex system of the brain-gut axis.
The brain-gut axis is the network of the endocrine and nervous system and how it enables the gut bacteria to influence the communication with the brain.
This process involves the autonomic nervous system. It is comprised of two parts, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems. The regulation of these two systems can directly affect the gut-brain axis by turning on or off our “fight, flight or freeze” behavior or our “rest and digest” nervous system.
Any microbe changes in the gastrointestinal system can have profound alterations in our bowel movements, digestive function and can produce gut problems.
The brain-gut connection becomes more intertwined as research suggests that microbes in the gut influence neurotransmitter development affecting brain health. Medical professionals suggest that this phenomenon could play an important role in anxiety, depression and other mental health related conditions.
Types of Gastric Conditions That Lead to Headaches
Although current research hasn’t definitively concluded gastric issues to headaches. There are many observational studies that have made correlations of gut issues and migraine episodes.
One such 2020 review suggests a link of these gastrointestinal disorders to migraine and headaches:
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irritable bowel syndrome
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inflammatory bowel disease
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celiac disease
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Helicobacter pylori infection – studies indicate an 84% reduction in headaches after an eradication of H. pylori infection in migraine patients. A strong correlation of the severity of migraine with H. pylori infection was seen in this 2011 study.
A 2017 study finds that people with migraine and tension headaches have more gastric ulcers. It goes on to suggest that other contributing factors could be food allergies, serotonin pathways and sensitivities of the autonomic nervous system.
Other contributing gastric conditions that may lead to headaches are:
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constipation
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gastroesophageal reflux disease
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gastroparesis
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dysbiosis ( limited gut bacteria diversification)
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hepato-biliary disorders
Information gathered within this area of study does not name exact mechanisms responsible, but do indicate that beneficial microbiome and brain-gut axis, diet and weight would have positive impact on migraine sufferers.
Helpful tips could include:
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keeping a low glycemic index diet
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maintaining a healthy bodyweight
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getting enough fiber
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using probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D
Symptoms
The relationship of causation from headache to gastric issues seems to be a two way street. Does a headache cause the gastric condition or the other way around?
Gastric headaches are associated with these symptoms:
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abdominal pain
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bowel movement irregularities and constipation
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vomiting and nausea
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indigestion and heartburn
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headache or migraine episodes
Treatments
Any treatment considerations should be done by a doctor and specific for each person depending on the severity and nature of the symptoms.
Doctors can prescribe medication for the head pain, the digestive disorder, antibiotic for a gut infection or a combination of medications for the most problematic symptoms.
A person can search out any effective over the counter antacids too.
Another simple plan is to try and maintain a healthy bodyweight and eat high fiber foods rich in nutrients that will add to microbiome diversity to prevent any digestive disturbances from occurring.
Investigate any food allergies you may be experiencing by contacting a registered nutritionist or dietitian.
Also, curb your daily stress by implementing neurofeedback therapy, meditation, yoga and deep breathing exercises into your weekly schedule.
Our gut health directly affects our brains ability to function optimally. Disorders of the gastrointestinal system such as H. pylori infection, celiac disease and IBS can cause discomfort and pain throughout our bodies and into the brain.
Scientists continue to do probing research aimed at discovering the linking mechanisms that are responsible for brain-gut axis disorders. So, that better medications and treatment options are available to those who suffer from gastric headaches and other brain-gut related conditions.
-A Balanced Brain is a Better Brain-