Tension Type Headaches

Nothing can put you down as fast as a headache of any type - but tension type headaches, which are also called stress headaches often keep us from accomplishing things that we have set out to do. Tension headaches commonly come on in the middle of the day - when we need to be at our best - making it difficult to get our work done or live our lives normally in many cases.

Most sufferer's of tension headaches report a constant dull ache on both sides of their heads. These headaches come on slowly, and gradually increase in intensity. A tight feeling in the head and neck may also be experienced. Sometimes the pain is only mild, and sometimes they are severe. Some people report that their tension headaches are worse than a migraine headache. As with most headaches, sensitivity to light is often reported as well.

Tests are not usually required to diagnose a tension headache. Most doctors recognize the problem when the symptoms are reported. However, if you experience tension headaches on a regular basis, especially when there is nothing going on that might cause regular tension headaches, your doctor may order x-rays, a CT scan, an MRI, or blood tests just to rule out other, more serious, possibilities.

How tension headaches are treated is usually determined by the frequency of the headaches. For occasional tension headaches, over the counter pain relievers are often used. You should always read the labels of any type of headache pain relief medication you choose, and do not take it for an extended period of time. If the headaches are not occasional, see your doctor.

For frequent tension headaches, over the counter pain reliever may not work, or may eventually stop working as your body becomes accustomed to the medication. Stronger pain relief medication will most likely be prescribed. You may also need to take anti-anxiety medications as well. Again, this will be determined by your doctor based on the severity and frequency of the headaches.

Because light tends to make tension headaches worse, you should wear a pair of sunglasses to reduce light rays. Sunglasses can often even prevent the headaches. There are companies that offer sunglasses designed specifically for headache sufferers. These sunglasses not only help prevent headaches, they also prevent headache pain from becoming worse.

It is important to know that as headache pain increases it becomes harder to treat the pain. Tension headaches should be treated at the first sign, not when the pain becomes worse. You can treat the headache, from the onset, by putting on sunglasses to reduce the light, taking pain reliever - even though the pain isn't very bad, and by getting away from a stressful situation that may have caused the headache.

You don't have to completely forget about the stressful situation, but you can get away from it for just a little while and relax a bit. In more serious cases, a vacation may even be required. Sometimes, stress can become overwhelming it does more than cause a headache. It can make us very sick, and cause high blood pressure as well! This, in turn, can lead to even more serious health problems.

Other treatments include taking a hot bath or shower and/or using heat or ice on your neck or head. Tension headaches can be prevented, again, by wearing sunglasses in bright light, and also by making sure that you get plenty of sleep at night. Regular exercise will also reduce tension headaches. Avoiding stressful situations also helps.

Again, if you have tension headaches on a regular basis, you should really seek the advice of your health care provider. Over the counter medication won't always help in these situations, and it may even signal a more serious problem.

Copyright 2006 TriggerOptics.com

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Migraine Headaches" article category.

People interested in the above article "Tension Type Headaches" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

Headaches - Types Of Headaches

Headache is defined as pain in the head that is located above the eyes or the ears, behind the head (occipital), or in the back of the upper neck. Headache, like chest pain or dizziness, has many causes. Most headaches happen outside the skull, in the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles that cover the head and neck. The muscles or blood vessels can swell, tighten, or go through other changes that stimulate or put pressure on the surrounding nerves. These nerves send a rush of pain messages to the brain, which brings on a headache.

How to Treat Migraine

There's no mistaking a migraine, that is, unless you've come up with another explanation for the throbbing head pain, intense nausea, and sensory sensitivity that can last for days. Even if medication works to ease migraines, it doesn't address the problems that may be behind the attacks, such as physical and emotional strain, physiological imbalances, food sensitivities and nutrient deficiencies. This is where natural approaches can help most.

Know about Migraine Treatment

Pain killers don't treat the pain but we lose the sense of pain for some time; in that duration our body itself treats sometime and credit goes to meds.The useless drugs have tremendous power of side effects like liver/kidney failures, ulcer, inflammation of intestines and lot more.

Safe and Natural Cures for Headache

Headache is almost never located in the brain. There is actually not much ability at all to sense pain in the mass of the brain - surgeons do for instance not use anesthetics on the brain when they perform brain surgery.

Tips to Get Rid of Headache

Headaches are common pains that anyone can suffer. They can be caused by many factors such as stress, working for extended hours in front of the computer to injury and migraines which may be triggered by allergies such as food. Whatever the cause may be, the fact remains that having a headache is very uncomfortable and may keep you from performing to your full potentials. One need not suffer so much because of it, especially if the problem is constant and may keep you from being productive.

Effective Migraine Treatment Methods

The treatment to migraine with drugs can be approached in two ways either by preventing the attack or by relieving the symptoms during the attack. This article discusses some of the effective treatment methods to control migraine.

Proven Methods for Migraine Relief

The main objective of migraine relief is to relieve the pain after it has started and just before it gets worse. This article lists out some of the time-tested methods that help reduce the pains to a great extent.