Tension Headache Health Article

Definition

This most common type of headache is caused by severe muscle contractions triggered by stress or exertion. It affects as many as 90% of adult Americans.

Description

While most American adults get a tension headache from time to time, women and people with more education are slightly more likely to suffer from them. People who are so anxious that they grind their teeth or hunch their shoulders may find that the physical strain in their body can be experienced as pain and tension in the muscles of the neck and scalp, producing almost constant pain.

Causes and symptoms

Tension headaches are caused by tightening in the muscles of the face, neck, and scalp because of stress or poor posture. They can last for days or weeks and can cause pain of varying intensity. The tightening muscles cause more expansion and constriction of blood vessels, which can make head pain worse. Eyestrain caused by dealing with a large amount of paperwork or reading can cause a tension headache as well.

Many people report the pain of a tension headache as a kind of steady ache (as opposed to a throb) that forms a tight band around the forehead, affecting both sides of the head. Tension headaches usually occur in the front of the head, although they also may appear at the top or the back of the skull.

Tension headaches often begin in late afternoon and can last for several hours; they can occur every day and last throughout most of the day. When this happens, the headache is called a chronic tension headache. Unlike migraines, tension headaches do not cause nausea and vomiting, and sufferers do not exhibit sensitivity to light or signs of any kind of aura before the headache begins.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of tension headaches is made from a medical history, discussion of symptoms, and elimination of other types of headaches or underlying disorders.

Very few headaches are the sign of a serious underlying medical problem. However, sufferers should call a physician at once if they:

• Have more than three headaches a week.
• Take medication for pain almost every day.
• Need more than the recommended dose of pain medication.
• Have a stiff neck and/or fever in addition to a headache.
• Are dizzy, unsteady, or have slurred speech, weakness, or numbness.
• Have confusion or drowsiness with the headache.
• Have headaches that began with a head injury.
• Have headaches triggered by bending, coughing, or exertion.
• Have headaches that keep getting worse.
• Have severe vomiting with a headache.
• Have the first headache after age 50.
• Awaken with headache that gets better as the day goes on.