Most headaches are tension headaches. Some people get them often, especially if they have a lot of stress in their lives.
This kind of headache may cause pain or a feeling of pressure all over your head. Sometimes it's hard to know where the center of the pain is.
If you get a lot of these kind of headaches, the best way to reduce them is to find out what's causing them. Then you can make changes in those areas.
Tension headaches can cause pain:
The cause of tension headaches isn't clear. Tension or spasms of the muscles of the neck, face, jaw, head, or scalp may play a role in causing these headaches. A change in brain chemistry may also help cause them. They can be brought on—or triggered—by stress, depression, hunger, and muscle strain.
Symptoms of tension headaches include a constant headache, usually with pain or pressure on both sides of your head. You may feel tightness around your forehead that feels like a "vise grip." You may also have aching pain at your temples or the back of your head and neck. The pain usually isn't severe.
A doctor can usually diagnose tension headaches by doing a physical exam and asking questions about how often the headaches happen, what the symptoms are, and about your overall health and lifestyle. In some cases, imaging and other tests may be done to rule out other health problems. But this isn't common.
You can treat most tension headaches by taking over-the-counter pain medicines. Prescription medicines may help if you keep having headaches or if your headaches are very bad. Avoiding the things that trigger your headaches can also help.
The cause of tension headaches isn't clear. In the past, doctors believed that tension or spasms of the muscles of the neck, face, jaw, head, or scalp played a role in causing these headaches. Now they think a change in brain chemistry may also help cause them.
Tension headaches can be brought on—or triggered—by things such as stress, depression, hunger, and muscle strain. They may come on suddenly or slowly.
Chronic tension headaches are headaches that keep coming back. They often occur along with other health problems such as anxiety or depression.
The most common triggers for tension headaches are physical and emotional stress.
Sometimes stress is caused by conditions such as anxiety and depression. If you think you may have anxiety or depression, talk with your doctor. If you treat these conditions, you may get tension headaches less often.
If you have tension headaches, ask yourself if you are:
Other possible tension headache triggers include:
Here are some things you can do to help prevent tension headaches.
Symptoms of tension headaches include:
Unlike migraines, tension headaches usually don't occur with nausea, vomiting, or feeling sensitive to both light and noise. But light or noise could make your headache worse. Pain from a tension headache usually isn't severe and doesn't get in the way of your work or social life. But for some people, the pain is very bad or lasts a long time.
Tension headaches may come on suddenly or slowly. They can last from 30 minutes to 7 days. They tend to come back, especially if you are under stress.
If you have a headache on 15 or more days each month over a 3-month period, you may have chronic tension headaches. This type of headache can lead to stress and depression, which in turn can lead to more headaches.
But there is treatment for tension headaches. Most can be treated with over-the-counter pain medicines. Prescription medicines may help if you keep having headaches or if your headaches are very bad.
Call 911 or other emergency services if:
Call your doctor now or go to the emergency room if:
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach. If your headache gets better on its own, you won't need treatment. If it gets worse or you get headaches often, you and your doctor will decide what to do next.
Watchful waiting and using over-the-counter pain medicines work well if your tension headaches don't keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if your headaches are disrupting your life, talk to your doctor about other treatments that you could try.
A doctor can usually diagnose tension headaches by doing a physical exam and asking questions, such as how often the headaches happen and what the symptoms are. The doctor will also ask about your overall health and lifestyle.
It can be hard to know which type of headache you have. That's because different types can have the same symptoms. But the treatments may be different, so it's important to find out which type you have.
In some cases, your doctor may order tests to find out if a health problem is causing them. These tests may include an MRI or a CT scan.
In very rare cases, headaches can be caused by more serious health problems (such as brain tumors or aneurysms). But most headaches aren't caused by anything serious. So you probably won't need to have tests.
You can treat most tension headaches yourself. You can take over-the-counter medicines, avoid things that trigger your headaches, and reduce your stress. If you keep having headaches or your headaches are very bad, your doctor may give you prescription medicines.
In some cases, your doctor may prescribe stronger pain medicine if over-the-counter drugs don't stop your headaches.
You may want to try medicine to prevent getting a headache if:
Even with treatment, you will most likely still get some tension headaches. But you probably will get them less often. And they may hurt less when you do get them.
Your doctor may recommend medicine to stop or to prevent tension headaches.
The type of tension headache you have may help your doctor decide which drug to prescribe. You may have to try several different drugs or types of drugs before you find the one that is right for you. Make sure to tell your doctor how well a drug stops your headaches.
You might need to take only an over-the-counter medicine for pain. They usually have fewer side effects than prescription drugs. Always be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
The medicine that you take may cause side effects. Some side effects may last for a few weeks. Others may last for as long as you take the medicine. Certain pain medicines can cause a bad reaction if you take them with other medicines. Before you start to take pain medicines, be sure to let your doctor know about all of the drugs you take. This includes over-the-counter medicines and complementary treatments (such as herbs).
Medicines to stop a headache after it starts include:
Talk to your doctor if you are taking medicine more than 2 days a week to stop a headache. Taking too much pain medicine can lead to more headaches. These are called medicine-overuse headaches.
Your doctor may recommend that you take a prescription medicine every day to prevent headaches. You may want to take this medicine if:
Medicines used to prevent tension headaches include:
Some people find that some non-medicine treatments can help stop a tension headache or prevent one.
If you decide to try one or more of these treatments, make sure that your doctor knows. He or she may have advice on how to use them safely. Some non-medicine treatments for headaches include:
Current as of: December 13, 2021
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine & E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine & Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine
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