Tension Headache: Meaning, Diagnosis and Overview

What is Tension Headache?

A tension headache is the most common type of headache. They are commonly referred to as stress headaches.
A tension headache may appear periodically ("episodic," less than 15 days per month) or daily ("chronic," more than 15 days per month). An episodic tension headache may be described as a mild to moderate constant band-like pain, tightness, or pressure around the forehead or back of the head and neck.

Recovery Time

Tension headaches may last from 30 minutes to several days.

Diagnosis

• Physical and neurological examination
• Pain description
• Pain intensity
• Pain characteristics
• Pain location
• CT scan
• MRI

FAQs prepared by doctor

1. What are tension headaches?
A tension headache is the most common type of headache. They are commonly referred to as stress headaches. A tension headache may appear periodically ("episodic," less than 15 days per month) or daily ("chronic," more than 15 days per month). An episodic tension headache may be described as a mild to moderate constant band-like pain, tightness, or pressure around the forehead or back of the head and neck.

2. What are its symptoms?
Pain is like tight band or vise on the hand in all over the head, not one point or side. Pain is pressure like which is worse in the scalp, back of the neck, shoulders. There is difficulty in sleeping.

3. How much time it takes to recover from it?
Tension headaches may last from 30 minutes to several days.

4. What shall one do when suffering from tension headache?
Rest and get plenty of sleep by following a regular schedule. Make a note of triggers of headache and try to avoid them. Manage stress and maintain proper posture. If one work on the computer, take a 10-minute screen break every hour. Massage the temples, shoulders, back of the head, and neck, or any other area where tension is felt.

5. When shall one visit doctor?
A person should consult a physician when its abrupt and severe headache. When such headache is associated with nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, photophobia, speech, vision, or movement problems or loss of balance then tension type headache needs to be ruled out from other differential diagnosis.