Symptoms Of Tension Headache
Everybody experiences a tension headache at one moment in life or another. This is not a disease but merely an inconvenience one will feel for a period of time.
Doctors refer to this as a tension headache. When this happens for a short period of time, it is known as episodic. Should this last more a number of days, this is known as chronic.
Research has not been able to pinpoint the cause of tension headaches. Regular people think this is caused by stress. The person could be working on the computer the whole day and develops eyestrain or there is a lot of pressure from the office.
What are the symptoms of tension headaches? Mostly, people will feel pain in the forehead even all the way down to the back of the neck. It is like someone’s hands are on both sides squeezing the life out of the person or the world is slowly caving in.
Unlike a flu, the tension headache cannot be detected and this will just happen. It will occur in the late afternoon or in the evening if the employee is pulling long hours on a project.
If it is a minor tension headache, the individual can ride it out with a glass of water and a few breathing exercises. Should the pain be severe, it will be a good idea to take aspirin to relieve the pain.
It is always best to go to a doctor if this happens frequently. The professional will be able to determine what is the problem so proper treatment can be given. Tension headaches that are stress related can be cured by going home and resting for a few days.
People who are suffering from something severe such as a migraine or a chronic headache will be prescribed a drug to take care of the problem. It is only when nothing has changed that certain tests have to be done to make sure there is no tumor present.
A tension headache can happen to anyone because it strikes without any warning. There are a lot of things that could have triggered this aside from stress such as the side effects of medication being taken to poor eating habits.
It is a good thing this problem does not last long and is nothing serious or life threatening. Tension headaches come and go and can be overcome with or without the use of drugs.
« How to Use Home Drug Tests : Types of Home Drug Tests | Home | How to Use Home Drug Tests : Picking a Home Drug Test »
Comments
Besides medications, what else can i do to help alleviate the symptoms of a Migraine / Tension Headache?
I have migraines and also tension headaches at times. I was wondering if there is anything I can do in addition taking medications to help with the pain and symptoms.
For general headaches, if you can hold down water without vomiting you should drink water to help with any dehydration, lay in a dark cool but not cold room and rest.
You can put either a cold or warm cloth on your eyes and face — some people are helped by cold and some by heat so you have to try to see which works for you.
For migraines there are quite a few foods that can be triggers, such as chocolate, red wine, aged cheeses, MSG, and many more that you should avoid. There are many lists on the web of such foods and you can pay attention to see which foods set you off. When you feel the beginning of one coming on you can drink some coffee or coca-cola. Migraine headaches are caused by the sudden widening of blood vessels, so drinking something caffeinated helps to constrict the vessels a bit, thereby lessening the pain. However, drinking too much caffeine can also trigger a migraine.
In the case of migraines, you should also lay in a dark, cool room [but not cold] and rest.
References :
Naturopath
RE: above - actually, Migraine pain is caused by constricted blood vessels(veins) and some Migraine meds are Vaso-dilators - to dilate(open) the blood vessels to relieve the pressure in the brain. Foods do trigger some headaches, as does stress and anxiety. Most migraine sufferers can handle stressful situations and deal with emergencies, but get a Migraine after the stressful situation is resolved. That is why a lot of people have them on weekends or vacations. Hormones can be triggers as well. Some women take birth control pills to stabilize their hormone levels. There are some very good meds out now-Imitrex is a vaso-dilator. I’ve has migraine’s for 50 years and they do improve with age. I need a quiet, dark, room with minimum of “smells”-you become hypersensitive - take your meds and sleep it off.
References :
Leave a Comment