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Is Diabetes to Blame for Your Headache

Medically reviewed by Kelly Wood, MD — By Kristeen Cherney — Updated on October 3, 2022Headaches are a common medical complaint. But if you have diabetes, headaches could be a sign that your blood sugar is too high or too low.

Diabetes and headaches

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that can cause high blood sugar. High blood sugar can lead to a host of symptoms and related complications, some of which can be life threatening. Having a headache may be a sign of high or low blood sugar. Headaches aren’t harmful, but they can signal that your blood sugar, or glucose, is outside its target range. If you have frequent headaches along with other symptoms of high blood sugar, such as excessive thirst and frequent urination, diabetes may be the cause. Can diabetes cause seizures? Learn how to prevent them »

Understanding headaches

Headaches are one of the most common medical complaints, and they have numerous causes. There are two types of headaches: primary and secondary. Primary headaches occur when brain cells, nerves, blood vessels, or muscles around the head send pain signals to the brain. Primary headaches occur independently — not because of another medical condition. Migraine attacks and tension headaches are two examples. Underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, cause secondary headaches. Other causes of secondary headaches include:fever or infectioninjuryhigh blood pressure, or hypertensionstrokeanxiety or stresshormone fluctuations, such as those occurring during your menstrual cycleeye disordersstructural abnormalities within the brain Secondary headache causes can vary, and so can the pain they produce. Headaches due to high blood sugar associated with diabetes often range from moderate to severe, and they occur frequently. These headaches can indicate that your glucose is too high or low. Regulating your blood sugar may be the first step toward headache relief. Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, may also help.

Q

What makes a headache ‘severe’?Anonymous

A

Classifying the severity of a headache isn’t always easy. Every person has a different pain tolerance. The severity of the headache is subjective and dependent on each person’s tolerance for pain. In general, doctors and other healthcare professionals will classify a headache as severe if it significantly limits a person’s ability to function normally.Graham Rogers, MDAnswers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.

Hyperglycemia and headaches

Hyperglycemia occurs when a person has high blood sugar. High blood glucose levels include levels higher than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) while fasting and greater than 140 mg/dL 2 hours after eating. Many people don’t feel any symptoms even at higher blood sugar levels, and the symptoms are often slow to appear. A headache from high blood glucose generally takes several days of high blood sugar to develop. Even so, headaches are considered an early sign of hyperglycemia. The pain can become more severe as your condition worsens. Also, if you have a history of hyperglycemia, a headache can be a sign to check your blood sugar. Other early signs of hyperglycemia include:fatigueblurry visionexcessive thirst and dehydrationincreased urinationexcessive hungersores that won’t heal You can manage hyperglycemia with lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and a balanced diet. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) recommends eating a variety of:vegetablesfruitswhole grainslean proteinplant-based proteins, such as beans, peas, nuts, and meat substitutesnonfat or low fat dairy You can also use medications to manage your blood sugar. You’ll likely have fewer headaches when you manage your blood sugar.

Hypoglycemia and headaches

Low blood glucose, or hypoglycemia, occurs when your blood sugar level is below 70 mg/dL. Unlike hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia symptoms can occur suddenly. These symptoms can include headaches, which may seem to come out of nowhere as your blood sugar decreases. Headaches in such cases are usually accompanied by other symptoms, such as:dizzinessshakinessexcessive sweatingsudden hungerirritabilitynauseaexcessive fatigueweaknessanxiety or confusion Before you can treat a headache that occurs with these symptoms, determine whether low blood glucose is the cause with a blood glucose test. If a blood glucose test determines your blood sugar is low, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends eating 15 to 20 grams of simple carbohydrates or glucose tablets, and then checking your glucose again in 15 minutes. Once your blood sugar stabilizes, your headache may decrease. If the pain persists, you may still need to take OTC pain relief. Call a doctor or your local emergency services immediately if your headache is severe or you can’t get your blood glucose back up. When left untreated, hypoglycemia can lead to life threatening complications, such as seizures and coma.

Is a bad headache caused by diabetes or something else

Diabetes certainly isn’t the only cause of headaches. If you have diabetes, your chance of having headaches may be greater than someone without diabetes, especially if your diabetes isn’t managed effectively. By keeping tabs on your blood glucose, you will likely have fewer headaches, as well as other diabetes symptoms. If your headaches persist despite diabetes management, you should talk with a doctor right away.

Takeaway

Headaches alone aren’t harmful, but they can indicate that your blood sugar is too high or low, which can be dangerous. To find relief and avoid diabetes complications, try to keep your blood sugar levels in their target range. Last medically reviewed on October 3, 2022

How we vetted this article

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.Bahra A. (2020). Other primary headaches-thunderclap-, cough-, exertional-, and sexual headache.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7184054/Blood sugar and exercise. (n.d.).
diabetes.org/healthy-living/fitness/getting-started-safely/blood-glucose-and-exerciseDiabetes diet, eating, & physical activity. (2016).
niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/diet-eating-physical-activityHeadache: Hope through research. (2022).
ninds.nih.gov/health-information/patient-caregiver-education/hope-through-research/headache-hope-through-researchKhayamnia M, et al. (2019). Diagnosis of common headaches using hybrid expert-based systems.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6743243/Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). (2021).
niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/low-blood-glucose-hypoglycemiaMathew TK, et al. (2021).
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555976/Mouri M, et al. (2022). Hyperglycemia.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430900/Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Current Version Oct 4, 2022 By Kristeen Cherney, PhD Edited By Heather Hobbs Medically Reviewed By Kelly Wood, MD Copy Edited By Suan Pineda Aug 20, 2018 By Kristeen Cherney, PhD VIEW ALL HISTORY Share this articleMedically reviewed by Kelly Wood, MD — By Kristeen Cherney — Updated on October 3, 2022

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