What causes TTH?
Here's where we need to dispel misconceptions, just as Migraineurs do. Tension-type headaches are not "all in the head." They are a neurological condition. Tension or stress may trigger a TTH, but they are not the cause. The true culprit is a genetic predisposition for certain triggers to cause the increased muscle tension and the changes in the central nervous system and blood vessels that produce the TTH. Though it has not been firmly established, researchers theorize that changes in the serotonin levels in the brain cause TTH, much as in migraine episodes. Common TTH triggers include:
- missed meals
- lack of sleep
- bright lights
- cigarette smoke
- anxiety
- stress
Symptoms of TTH
With TTH, the symptoms that are missing can be as important as the symptoms that are present because they are often mistaken for the headache phase of a migraine episode.
Present:
- pain is usually on both sides of the head, but may be anywhere on the head
- pain is often described as band-like, dull, pressing, or aching
- pain is unilateral (one-sided) in approximately 20% of patients
- pain is usually mild to moderate
- lasts 30 minutes to seven days
- tenderness of the head
- tightness of the muscles in the neck and shoulders
- difficulty concentrating
- heightened sensitivity to light or noise, but not both
Absent:
- typical physical activity seldom intensifies pain
- migraine prodrome
- migraine aura
- nausea and vomiting
- diarrhea
- heightened sensitivity to light and noise; one may be present
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