Many people who have suffered from them ask: “what exactly is a tension headache?” And because it is the most commonly experienced form of headache, there are many people asking that question. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of great answers as to what causes the headaches. However, there are some stablished treatment programs that pull from a wide array of medical disciplines.

Part of the reason the headache is so elusive is that it manifests so differently from one person to the next. And even within the same person, the condition varies greatly in terms of the duration and characteristics of its symptoms.

Symptoms include everything from very moderate discomfort to serious extreme pain. The pain is generally described as dull and aching. Sensation are described as those of tightness or pressure around the forehead, back of the head and sides of the head. There can also be associated tenderness in the scalp and occasionally patients report a lack of appetite.

Some tension headaches last only 20 to 30 minutes, while others can persists for several days or weeks. The symptoms can also be fleeting, occurring only every so often, or persistent, occurring frequently. The definition of a chronic tension headache is one that occurs more than half of the days in a month for three months; otherwise, the headaches are described as episodic. A high incident of episodic tension headaches can be indicative of future chronic tension headaches.

Migraines and tension headaches are not the same thing, though they are often confused with each other. Migraines are usually associated with visual disturbances, like bright lights and blind spots, and nausea, weakness on one side of the body, and slurred speech. tension headaches do not generally have these symptoms. tension headaches are also not generally made worse by physical activity, which is the case with migraines.

Though the causes of tension headaches are not well understood, recent research is pointing to changes in brain chemistry that set into motion pain pathways and inhibits the brain’s ability to block pain as a culprit. However, there are other known triggers as well, including: stress, anxiety, depression, jaw clenching, and poor posture.

About 90 percent of all women report these headaches at some point in their lives and about 70 percent of men will experience them. The headaches tend to reach their zenith for people in the 40s, though they can affect people of all ages.

Because the condition is an elusive one, it is a good idea to have a list of questions and issues to discuss during an appointment with your doctor. For example, write down your symptoms and any symptoms that are contemporaneous.

Track the duration and severity of the symptoms; keep a diary or calendar of the symptoms. Talk to the doctor about any recent major stressors in your life, and make sure she knows about any medications you are taking. Finally, make a list of questions for your doctor, including questions about the types of headaches you are experiencing, treatments, and preventatives steps you can consider.

In addition to listening to your symptoms and running general health indicator tests, doctors might recommend undergoing an MRI or CT scan to ascertain potential causes of the symptoms.

Chronic tension headache treatments come a wide range, from taking an over the counter pain reliever, such as Tylenol, Advil and Motrin to receiving alternative medicine treatments. Rest, massage, long hot showers are also recommended for those with tension headaches.

However, it is important to note that pain medications do not solve the problem that causes the headache, and pain relievers can lose their effectiveness over time. They can, oddly, even cause headaches. For this reason, over the counter pain medications should not be used for more than 10 days in a row.

Preventative medications are also available, but they can take up to several weeks to start showing affect. Acute pain relievers should be reduced (ideally eliminated) during the up to two months it can take for these preventatives to take effect. Caffeine should also be eliminated.

Stress management, therapy and antidepressants might also be recommended. Non traditional approaches include acupuncture and massage. Tension headache sufferers are also encouraged to maintain good body posture. Biofeedback is also sometimes recommended for people who suffer from chronic tension headaches.

Because chronic pain often sets into motion its own set of complications, chronic tension headaches sufferers often benefit from various types of psychological counseling and psychotherapy.

It’s a fact of life for most people, and a painful fact of life for many. Tension headaches affect most people at some point in their adult lives. For some people, the pain is severe, the episodes are long, and they come with great frequency. And, sadly, cause and definitive treatment can be elusive for some.

For these chronic sufferers of tension headaches, there is a variety of possible courses that can be taken to reduce the symptoms, and even prevent the recurrence of future issues. And there are options available that will help prevent them in the future. Many patients mix and match different treatment options, combining both traditional western medical practices with holistic medical practices.

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