Tension Headaches: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments, Relieve

Why does my head ache?

Almost everyone sometimes experiences a headache. Headaches can be caused by a great many different reasons. There are more than 150 diseases that cause headaches in the international headache classification. Finding the cause of a headache is important to find the right treatment.

The headache is felt in the centers that sense pain in the brain, but the message there comes from elsewhere at the nerve endings. Pain-sensing nerve endings are located, for example, in the muscles of the scalp or neck, in the walls of blood vessels, and on the surface of the meninges.

From symptom to diagnosis

The nature of the headache varies in different diseases and also individually. For example, it can be smooth, drowsy, throbbing, twinkling, or tearing. The pain may be felt all over the head or at some point in the head. The pain may be continuous or variable and may be related to a specific time of day. Occasionally, headache is also associated with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sensory sensitization, paralysis, or restlessness.

The diagnosis of headache is most often based on typical symptoms and medical examination. If necessary, the cause of the headache can be determined by imaging or laboratory tests.

Finding the right diagnosis of headache is important because treatment for different diseases is different. In some situations, treatment needs to be sought quickly . It is good to remember that a person can suffer from several different types of headaches. If you have frequent headaches, keeping a headache diary can help you figure out what kind of headache it is.

When is the rush to see a doctor?

The headache can be worrisome; can there be a serious illness behind it, such as a brain tumor or cerebral hemorrhage? Fortunately, this is rare. However, there are situations where it is necessary to make sure that there is nothing serious behind the pain.

A very severe or explosive, “very hard” headache is a reason to seek research right away. The following symptoms associated with a headache also require immediate medical evaluation: unconsciousness, severe drowsiness, convulsions, unilateral paralysis, double vision, severe dizziness, difficulty producing speech, or a new type of pain that begins with exertion. Fever, rapid deterioration in general condition or severe neck stiffness in connection with a headache are reasons for prompt evaluation.

A new type of severe headache that begins during pregnancy is the reason for the health care assessment.

In the case of a new headache, it is also advisable to seek advice if you are taking anticoagulants or chemotherapy or have a head injury that precedes the headache.

Constantly, day by day worsening and intensifying headaches is a reason to seek medical attention.

Patients with migraines often have transient symptoms associated with headaches such as serrated visual disturbances, unilateral numbness, and obstruction of speech and thinking. A migraine sufferer recognizes such recurrent symptoms, and because of these familiar symptoms, there is usually no need to seek medical attention.

Tension headache

Smooth drowsiness or a head-squeezing pain can indicate a tension headache. Tension headache is common. More than half of people suffer from it at some point in life.

What is a tension headache?

A tension headache is a bilateral, typically squeezing feeling of pressure or a band-like headache. The pain is not associated with vomiting. Tension headache is typically mild to moderate in intensity. It does not get worse under light exertion, such as walking upstairs. Occasional swinging dizziness is common. There may be sensitive areas on the scalp. The pain may occur in episodes lasting from minutes to a week, or the pain may be of a chronic, continuous type.

What can you do about it yourself?

Exercise is the most important form of prevention and treatment of tension headaches. The most important thing is to find the right sports for you, which you like to do regularly. Movements that strengthen the neck and shoulder muscles, checking posture and taking a break during the working day, checking ergonomics and working positions are important. Massage, physiotherapy and acupuncture are worth a try. You can also get good tips for your own training from a physiotherapist. In the long run, however, self-exercise is paramount.

Stress management and relaxation exercises can ease the body’s tension states.

Painkillers should be used with caution because their regular use can cause headaches and do not treat the actual cause of the pain.

In an awkward pain situation, if other means do not help, preventative medication may also be considered . Of these, the best response is with amitriptyline.

When to see a doctor?

If self-medication does not help and the headache is life-threatening or the headache is associated with other new symptoms in addition to pain, it is advisable to seek medical attention from a primary care physician. At that time, keeping a pre-admission headache diary and recording the painkillers and other treatments used will help clarify the situation.

Prevent Headaches - 17 Questions: How to Relieve and Treat Headaches with Professional Guidance

Headaches are a nasty affliction, but fortunately there are many treatments for headaches, even non-drug ones.

Headaches almost daily? Do bright headaches trigger a headache or does a nasty migraine start from a glass of red wine? There are many different types of headaches, but fortunately there are also effective treatments for them.

We asked 17 questions about headaches. This is how neuroscience specialist Ville Artto and specialist researcher Marjo Rinne talk about how to relieve pain.

1. How can I tell if it is a common headache or a migraine?

The term ordinary headache is not known at all in medicine, but the aim is always to find the cause of the symptoms, after which a diagnosis can be made.

Very often, however, a common headache refers to a muscle-induced tension headache, which is the most common type of headache.

Migraines are usually associated with symptoms other than headaches.

Aural migraine causes a serrated visual disturbance before the pain begins. Mild migraine, on the other hand, can be associated with, for example, nausea and hypersensitivity. Typically, those with it are happy to seek darkness and rest when symptoms begin.

2. Can the location of the headache identify what the pain is?

No. The headaches are not very consistent, so nothing definite can be deduced from the pain felt in a particular area. However, a neurologist can use location to try to deduce what might be involved.

Tension headache is usually felt in the occiput or elsewhere in the head area. Migraines are very often one-sided, but there are also symmetrical migraines. If, on the other hand, the pain is felt strongly behind the other eye, it may be a serial headache, or Horton's neuralgia.

3. What causes a tension headache?

The tension headache is usually caused by neck-shoulder muscle tension, poor posture and poor working postures.

Especially constant sitting is a big strain on the back, because then the body is often in a constant state of static tension. When sitting, the back usually rounds from the lower back, which also pushes the chin forward, causing the upper neck muscles to tense. As a result, the three upper cervical vertebrae are pinched, leaving the nerves leaving them pinched. The situation often results in a headache that is felt in the occiput.

4. Why can bad glasses cause a headache?

If a person is doing display terminal work, glasses with the wrong strengths can cause the chin to protrude particularly far forward. So a person pinches to see better. Poor posture puts a strain on the neck and can result in a headache.

The position of the head usually begins to be corrected automatically with glasses of suitable strength.

5. How should tension in the neck-shoulder area be relieved?

Unfortunately, you can't get rid of muscle tension just by training a sport a couple of times a week. Your own posture habits need to be monitored throughout the day.

If you notice that it is in a bad position, it needs to be replaced. If, on the other hand, you are doing sedentary work, you should pause your sitting.

It is a good idea to get up or go for a walk at least once an hour, as it significantly reduces the load on the neck-shoulder area. As the load on the neck muscles decreases, their blood circulation and metabolism improve. Then the headaches also tend to decrease.

6. Why does my head ache?

Various biting disorders can cause muscle tension in the cheek and neck area. For example, nocturnal tingling may be the cause of a headache.

Fluctuations in hormone balance during the menstrual cycle cause menstrual migraines in some women. It may take up to several days.

Excessive frame time and the resulting poor body postures can cause tension headaches. According to a French study, the risk increases if there are more than three hours of screen time per day.

Too intense a massage can release biochemicals and thus trigger a headache.

Improper gym training can irritate muscles and trigger a headache. For example, doing upper heel bets with the wrong technique puts a strain on the neck.

Lack of rest and sleep affects the balance of the body. If the body does not have time to recover from exercise stress, for example, headaches occur more often.

An irregular eating rhythm and the resulting hunger and possible binge eating can trigger a headache.

Sometimes a headache can also be caused by a lack of iron. Muscles also feel worse if their iron levels are low.

6. What types of sports are suitable for preventing muscular headaches?

Very good sports for neck-shoulder training are skiing, rowing, swimming and Nordic walking, as long as their techniques are in order.

In addition, the neck-shoulder area should be trained with targeted exercises and muscle fitness in general in a variety of ways.

Good sports for relaxation include peaceful walking, stretching and yoga.

7. Where can I get help with the right kind of training?

Initially, it is a good idea to be assisted by someone who is familiar with neck-shoulder problems and instructs you to do the exercises correctly. In acute pain, help can be obtained through public health or occupational health care, which can be referred to a physiotherapist's office.

A good option is also to set aside time for a personal trainer. Usually, after 2-3 visits, you get instructions on how to do it yourself. If training alone feels challenging, different municipalities also organize neck and back groups.

8. What medicine to take to relieve a headache?

Both paracetamol and NSA-IDs can be used to relieve any headaches if they can otherwise be used.

Paracetamol and NSA-IDs have different mechanisms of action. They can also be taken together, so that the pain-relieving effect may be more effective.

There are also specific drugs for migraines, trip tans. However, they require a doctor's prescription. Trip tans can also be taken in combination with paracetamol and NSA-IDs, but then it is a good idea to talk to your doctor first.

9. What can result from constant eating of painkillers?

If you use a lot of NSAIDs, your stomach may become irritated. Especially the elderly can also experience intestinal bleeding. In addition, continuous use of painkillers may lead to painkiller headaches.

A typical person with a painkiller headache is a migraine with chronic use of painkillers to chronic the situation.

Thus, painkillers cause more headaches, which means that painkillers must be used even more again. If, in the long run, there are consistently more painkiller days than painkiller-free days, the risk of painkiller headache increases. Painkiller headaches can only be relieved by reducing medications or completely weaning.

10. What non-drug remedies for headaches should you try?

The most regular rhythm of life and a stress-free life will help keep all headaches at bay. Unfortunately, it is not very easy in modern society. However, you should strive to follow a regular meal rhythm and keep work and rest in balance. Some also benefit from acupuncture treatments.

11. Is a warm oat pillow or a cold wrap better for a headache?

The relief of the ailments is individual, but the cold wrap is more likely to relieve the headache more effectively. A cold often helps soothe pain.

12. Is it worth reserving time for a masseur or osteopath?

Studies show that manipulation and mobilization treatments can momentarily relieve the pain caused by a tension headache. However, the effect is short-lived.

A violent massage, on the other hand, can even trigger a headache. However, if the massage is very light, it can be a good form of treatment.

Longer-term help is obtained if you learn to recognize tensions yourself and consciously relax your body through breathing. A stressed person automatically breathes superficially, which tensions the muscles in the neck area. When a person relaxes, the neck and shoulders are also released.

13. Can some foods trigger a headache?

Yes. Foods do not cause tension headaches, but they can trigger a migraine. In some people, migraines are caused, for example, by sodium glutamate, which is used as an aroma enhancer. It is widely used in snacks, meat dishes and chips. Other typical triggers for migraines include ice cream, strong cheeses, dark chocolate and red wine.

However, this is not entirely straightforward. Sometimes it can also happen that a migraine causes various cravings for several hours before the onset of pain. Then a person may experience, for example, a craving for chocolate. He might later associate chocolate as a trigger, even though it was actually a migraine that caused chocolate cravings.

14. Why can bright lights cause headaches?

Many migraines are hypersensitive. In them, the cerebral cortex of the brain is easily overactivated by, among other things, bright and flashing lights. In addition, they are often sensitive to different sounds and smells. Strong stimuli may trigger a headache.

15. When is a headache dangerous?

Headaches are very rarely a dangerous ailment. However, there are a few exceptions: You need to see a doctor quickly if a new type of headache starts to explode suddenly.

In addition, if the headache wakes up repeatedly in the morning, is accompanied by nausea and worsens in the morning, it is advisable to seek medical attention. You should also do this if you are starting to experience some new type of pain when you are over 50 years old.

16. Can a severe headache cause a cerebral hemorrhage or heart attack?

No. When you have a headache, the feeling is usually really miserable, and it may seem like a broken blood vessel at the end. However, a common migraine does not cause a cerebral hemorrhage or infarction. However, a sudden, explosive headache that comes with exertion can sometimes be the first sign of a cerebral hemorrhage.

17. When should you see a doctor?

Although a headache is rarely dangerous, it is a nuisance and painful affliction. You should always see a doctor when you feel that there are a lot of aches and pains that are difficult to deal with. Many different medications can be tried for migraines.