All About Tension Headaches

(LifeWire) -Tension-type headaches are so called because they cause a dull aching pain that people describe a a band around their heads radiating to their neck. While it feels like the pain is related to tension, scientists are not certain what causes tension type headaches, hence the name "tension-type."

Symptoms of a Tension Headache

Little wonder, then, that tension headaches are the most common kind of all headaches. They have recently been renamed "tension-type headaches" because of the possible role researchers now believe that the chemistry in the brain may play in their origin. Close to 90% of women and about 70% of men are estimated to suffer from the dull pressure and aches caused by tension-type headaches at some time in their lives. The symptom is also frequently described as feeling like a rubber band tightly gripping one's head.

Tension headaches can occur at any age, but they generally strike during adolescence or adulthood. This sort of headache occurs most often in people between 20 and 50 years of age.

These type of headaches are classified as episodic if they occur fewer than 15 days per month. If they occur more than 15 days per month for several months they are classified as chronic.

Whether episodic or chronic, the resulting discomfort is similar, that is, soreness in the scalp, neck and/or shoulder muscles that can pair with other nuisances, such as sleeplessness, irritability and trouble concentrating.

"In its most extensive form, the pain distribution is "cape-like," radiating along the ... muscles covering the shoulders," wrote Paul J. Millea, MD, lead author of an article on tension-type headaches published in American Family Physician.

Millea's report also noted that the pain from a single tension headache, which usually occurs on both sides of the head, can last from 30 minutes to a week, and it is not aggravated, unlike migraines, by lights, sounds or movements such as climbing stairs or bending over.

How Are Tension Headaches Treated?

Just as there are a myriad of triggers for tension headaches, there are also many possible remedies. Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers such as Tylenol (acetaminophen), Advil and Motrin (ibuprofen), and aspirin usually work well.

However, physicians caution not to self-dose with OTC analgesics more than 2 days per week. The danger is that sufferers will risk "rebound headaches" that will arrive as soon as each dose wears off. All medications, including OTCs, have possible side effects to be wary of, as well.

"Common features of chronic daily headache associated with frequent analgesic use are early morning awakening with headache, poor appetite, nausea, restlessness, irritability, memory or concentration problems and depression," Millea's article warns. "Patients should be screened for psychiatric [conditions], because anxiety, depression and psychosocial stress can be prevalent in patients with tension-type headaches."

Unlike other types of primary headaches that are caused by underlying illnesses, tension headaches may be controlled -- at least partially -- by making alterations in one's activities and habits.

Exercise Can Be Very Helpful

Exercise can help treat tension headaches. Physical activity can relax muscles, thus relieving tense muscles that may trigger the tension headache. Exercise is also known to produce endorphins, morphine-like substances made by the body that can suppress pain.

Aside from OTC medication and exercise, other modes of self-treatment for tension headaches include quitting smoking, biofeedback, acupuncture, stress management, massage and chiropractic care. Most of these treatments aim to alleviate tension or pain, but in different ways.

Take the next step to see your doctor once you decide that self-help just isn't working. After ruling out other disorders that can cause headaches, such as secondary, rather than primary headaches, your physician may prescribe a drug that is intended either to prevent them from occurring or stop the headache once it has begun.

One commonly prescribed medication is Elavil (amitriptyline). This tricyclic antidepressant has been the object of considerable research in the treatment of this kind of headache. However, this drug has potential side effects, such as dry mouth, blurred vision, significant blood pressure changes and weight gain that can become problematic for some patients.

The class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are generally used to treat depression, have been tried as a way of preventing tension headaches, and have been found to be effective in a few small studies. Paxil (paroxetine) and Prozac (fluoxetine) are some of the more commonly known SSRIs.