The experience of a tension headache is a bit different to a standard headache. while absolutely everyone will suffer from general headaches many times throughout their lives, most individuals will also develop what’s known as a tension headache.
The occurrences of tension headaches are significantly less than the average headache. Unfortunately many people do not know what a tension headache is, much less that they are having one.
It is mainly the headache symptoms and causes that differentiate a tension headache from traditional headache pain. Treatment is practically the same, except there might be a lot more than pain killers involved depending on the duration and severity of the tension headache.
Tension Headache Symptoms and Causes
A tension headache is headache pain that feels like something pushing against the head. The feeling of pressure or weight is often felt not only around the head but also inside the head. Many patients have described a tension headache as squeezing or crushing their brains, though in reality the brain feels nothing at all for lack of nociceptors. Basically, the tightness is due to many tiny muscle contractions around the head.
In addition to those headache symptoms, a dull ache may also be felt on both sides of the head, just above the ears.
There are a number of causes of tension headache. The most common appear to be stress, bad posture, extended periods of reading, concentrating or typing, fatigue and prolonged physiological and psychological anxiety.
Tension Headache Treatment
It is important to address a tension headache as soon as it develops because this type of headache is known to worsen as the day drags on. One or two paracetamol tablets may alleviate headache pain. If tension headaches are a regular part of life due to a stressful lifestyle, it would be beneficial for the suffer to engage in frequent exercise, maintain a healthy diet and consume plenty of water. If one works in an office environment, it is essential to maintain good posture as this reduces the risk of developing tension headaches.
Tension Headache Symptoms and Remedy
The feelings of pressure in and around the head, along with a dull headache pain, are the typical signs of a tension headache. these may be alleviated by taking one or two paracetamol. In some cases pain killers might only mitigate an existing tension headache and further intervention may be required, even on an ongoing basis.
High blood pressure has been known to cause tension headaches. For a discussion on general headaches please read Headache causes, Symptoms and Treatment.
Sources:
The Reader’s Digest. (1989). Medical question & answer Book. Surry Hills: Reader’s Digest Association far East Pty ltd.