Recognizing Tension Headache Symptoms
Tension headache symptoms are often confused with migraine headaches and this can cause not only incorrect treatment but also a whole host of other things to go unattended. Tension headache symptoms, if recurring could be the sign of something more serious.
Due to the fact that the nature of tension headache symptoms just their mere presence for an extended period of time can become a dangerous situation. Migraine headaches are also painful and dangerous but their symptoms and treatments are much different than for tension headache symptoms and confusing the two can get you the wrong medication and potentially ignore the other things that are associated with each condition.
Tension headache symptoms are very different than migraine so let's look at the classic tension headache symptoms and how they differ from a migraine. A migraine headache is usually a pulsating type of pain where tension headache symptoms are a continuous pain.
Tension headache symptoms feel like someone has a belt wrapped around your head and is pulling it tighter and tighter. This is because the muscles around your skull are contracting and cutting off partial blood flow to your brain. Left untreated, chronic tension headache symptoms can become quite dangerous. Traditionally migraine symptoms occur on one side of your head and do not feel like they are affecting your entire head.
What Causes It and How Do I Get Rid of It?
Tension headaches are caused by the muscles in your skull contracting usually in reaction to the other muscles in your upper body tensing up and also contracting. Your whole upper body feels stiff and you cannot relax at all. You start to feel pressure in a particular part of your head that begins to travel all around your skull until it encircles your entire head.
In some cases excessive consumption of caffeine, chocolate, or sugar can lead to tension headaches or excessive concentration on things like computer screens and books. Things like smoking and exposure to cold can also cause a tension headache as well.
Obviously there is a simple way to relieve your tension headache and that is to remove the tension. Take some time for yourself in a quiet room, maybe add a little mood music or some other relaxing ambiance, and just relax. Some people also get massage therapy to help relieve their tension headaches and this is not a bad idea at all. If you get tension headaches at work from your computer screen then take a few minutes every hour to look away from your screen and concentrate on something else. Your last resort for treating a tension headache should be drugs, but sometimes they become necessary to function in all walks of life.
