Tension- Type Headache
The most common headache is one known as tension-type headache. It can go by other names such as muske contravin headacho, psychogemic headache, depressive headache, essential headache or ordinary headache. It is not usually a sign of a serious disease but it certainly can affect daily living activities.
It produces a pain on both sides of the head, not just the right or left half of the head, and it is likened to having a tight band around the head. It may also cause pain in the back of your neck at the base of your skull.
For many years doctors, thought that tension headaches were from involuntary tightening of the head and neck muscles. Subsequent studies hue shown that is not true, muscle tension is not increased. A substance callled nitric oxide may be a cause of headaches as well as other brain chemicals.
There are two classes of tension-type headaches, episodic and chronic. Episodic headaches occur less than 15 times a month and usually last from minutes to hours. Chronic headaches occur more than 15 times a month and often can be almost constant throughout the day.
Triggers for tension-type headaches can be stress or anxiety, lack of sleep, poor eating habits, high blood pressure and overuse of headache medications can also be responsible. Chronic teeth grinding (bruxism) or part history of head or neck trauma can also play a role. The list of associated causes is almost endless.
Treatment is mostly over-the-counter analgesics. These should be supplemented with rest, relaxation techniques, exercise, had packs and any other method that seems to abate the headache.
Prescription sedatives and narcotic analgesics are not used as a first line treatment because of their addicting qualities as well as propensity to just make the headaches more frequent as chronic use takes place.
If the headaches seem to continue for more than a couple of months, you may need to institute preventative measures such as exercise, yoga, relaxastion techniques and then talk your doctor about some of the non-prescriptions that can help prevent tension-type headache such as propanolol, SSRI'S or antidepressants.
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The most common headache is one known as tension-type headache. It can go by other names such as muske contravin headacho, psychogemic headache, depressive headache, essential headache or ordinary headache. It is not usually a sign of a serious disease but it certainly can affect daily living activities.
It produces a pain on both sides of the head, not just the right or left half of the head, and it is likened to having a tight band around the head. It may also cause pain in the back of your neck at the base of your skull.
For many years doctors, thought that tension headaches were from involuntary tightening of the head and neck muscles. Subsequent studies hue shown that is not true, muscle tension is not increased. A substance callled nitric oxide may be a cause of headaches as well as other brain chemicals.
There are two classes of tension-type headaches, episodic and chronic. Episodic headaches occur less than 15 times a month and usually last from minutes to hours. Chronic headaches occur more than 15 times a month and often can be almost constant throughout the day.
Triggers for tension-type headaches can be stress or anxiety, lack of sleep, poor eating habits, high blood pressure and overuse of headache medications can also be responsible. Chronic teeth grinding (bruxism) or part history of head or neck trauma can also play a role. The list of associated causes is almost endless.
Treatment is mostly over-the-counter analgesics. These should be supplemented with rest, relaxation techniques, exercise, had packs and any other method that seems to abate the headache.
Prescription sedatives and narcotic analgesics are not used as a first line treatment because of their addicting qualities as well as propensity to just make the headaches more frequent as chronic use takes place.
If the headaches seem to continue for more than a couple of months, you may need to institute preventative measures such as exercise, yoga, relaxastion techniques and then talk your doctor about some of the non-prescriptions that can help prevent tension-type headache such as propanolol, SSRI'S or antidepressants.
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