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Tension Headache
By peace | September 14, 2006
Tension headache is the most common type of headache, affecting as many as 40% of teenagers and adults. They tend to start at the back of your head and move forward, involving your neck, scalp, and head (for example, the temporal regions on either side of your forehead and the occiput, which is at the base of your head just above the neck). The pain, which is due to contraction (tightness) of the neck and scalp muscles, can ultimately cover your entire head. Such muscle contraction is commonly caused by stress – thus, the name “tension.” Headaches originating from tightness in the neck muscles are often called cervicogenic headaches.
Tension Headache Facts
- About 69% of men and 88% of women develop a tension headache sometime during their lives.
- Tension headache can occur at any age but most commonly begins during adolescence or young adulthood, with the highest frequency among those aged 20-50 years.
- More than 300 known medical disorders can produce headaches. In 1988, the International Headache Society developed a classification system for headache. Thirteen categories of headache are subdivided into 129 subtypes. Headache types are described as primary or secondary.
- Primary headaches include migraine, tension-type, and cluster headaches. More than 90% of people who see a doctor for headache pain have one of these types. Primary headaches are usually harmless, but they may come back again and again.
- Secondary headaches are often the result of some underlying disease, of which head pain is a symptom.
- The International Headache Society further divides tension headaches into episodic or chronic and on the presence or absence of pericranial muscle tenderness (pain on the outside of the skull).
- People with episodic tension-type headaches have at least 10 previous headache episodes lasting from 30 minutes to 7 days and occurring fewer than 180 times a year. The headache must have at least 2 of the following characteristics:
- Pressing/tightening (nonpulsating) quality, located on both sides of the head
- Mild or moderate intensity
- Not aggravated by routine physical activity
- No nausea or vomiting
- Possible sensitivity to light or sound but not both
- People with chronic tension-type headache have an average headache frequency of 15 days a month or 180 days a year for 6 months and must also meet the criteria for episodic tension-type headache. In addition, people with chronic tension-type headache must not have another disorder as shown by physical and neurologic examination.
- People with episodic tension-type headaches have at least 10 previous headache episodes lasting from 30 minutes to 7 days and occurring fewer than 180 times a year. The headache must have at least 2 of the following characteristics:
Symptoms Of Tension Headache
In mild to moderate tension headaches, there is a constant, band-like pain or pressure that lasts from 30 minutes to all day. Tension headaches tend to be moderate or mild and are rarely severe. Unlike migraines they are not usually unilateral, throbbing or associated with light and sound sensitivity or nausea and vomiting. Other features of tension headaches may include:
- Headache upon awakening
- General muscle aches
- Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
- Chronic fatigue
- Irritability
- Disturbed concentration
- Mild sensitivity to light or noise
- Occasional dizziness
Treatment Of Tension Headache Unfortunately, as many as 60% of people with tension headaches do not seek the advice of their physician and simply resort to taking over the counter medications for the pain. This is too bad because a comprehensive treatment plan including relaxation, exercise and other lifestyle changes, and occasional medication can be very effective in significantly reducing the frequency and intensity of tension headaches.
Many of the medications used to prevent or treat tension headaches, however, have risks and side effects. Therefore, using methods that do not include medications are preferred if you are able to achieve successful pain control and reduce the frequency of your headaches. Biofeedback, yoga, and relaxation techniques, for example, can be quite effective for both acute relief and decreased headache frequency. Regular exercise can also reduce how often you get a tension headache.
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