User:Mr. Ibrahem/Tension headache
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tension headache, also known as stress headache, is a common type of recurrent headache.[1] The pain is often band like, occurs on both sides, and is mild to moderate in intensity.[1] Generally the severity of the pain does not change with activity such as walking.[1] Often the pain is better in the morning and worse at night.[1] There may be associated neck or shoulder stiffness.[1] They can last from 30 minutes to 7 days.[1]
Tension headache | |
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Other names | Tension-type headache (TTH), stress headache, muscle contraction headache, psychomyogenic headache |
A woman experiencing a tension headache | |
Specialty | Neurology |
Symptoms | Mild to moderate head pain[1] |
Complications | Mood disorders[1] |
Duration | 30 min to 7 hours[1] |
Types | Episodic, chronic[1] |
Causes | Unclear[1] |
Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms[1] |
Differential diagnosis | Migraine, cluster headache, secondary headaches[1] |
Prognosis | Usually good[1] |
Frequency | 20%[1] |
The cause is unclear though may involve environmental, genetic, and nutritional factors.[1] Psychological stress and posture appear to be related.[1] Diagnosis is based on the description of the symptoms, after ruling out other potential causes.[1] At least 10 episodes are required for an official diagnosis.[1]
Pain medication, specifically NSAIDs such as ibuprofen together with paracetamol (acetaminophine), are effective for the treatment of tension headache.[2][3][1] Frequent use of pain medications; however, can lead to medication overuse headaches.[1] Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, appear to be useful for prevention requiring about 4 weeks for a benefit.[4][1] Physical therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy may also be useful.[1] Evidence is poor for SSRIs, propranolol and muscle relaxants.[5][6]
About 20% of people are affected in a given year and about 80% affected at some point in their life.[1] As of 2016, tension headaches affect about 1.89 billion people[7] and are more common in women than men (23% to 18% respectively).[8]