What Are Tension Headaches?
A
tension headache is named not only for the role stress may play in triggering the pain, but also for the
contraction of neck, face, and scalp muscles brought on by stressful events.
Tension
headaches are a severe but temporary form of muscle-contraction
headache. The pain is mild to moderate and feels like pressure is being applied to the head or neck. The headache usually disappears after the period of stress is over. Tension headaches affect some 2 to 3 percent of people on a chronic basis, with twice as many women affected as men.
These are the most common type of headache. In fact, 90 percent of all headaches are classified as tension headaches. Other names for them include:
- Tension-type headache
- Stress headache
- Ordinary headache
- Psychogenic headache.
Types of Tension Headaches
There are two types of tension headaches -- episodic and chronic. Episodic tension headaches occur fewer than 15 days per month. Chronic tension headaches occur on 15 or more days per month, with varied pain throughout the day.
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