According to the NHS, 40% of the UK population is affected by a tension-type headache at any given time. They are the most common type of headache. Luckily they arenot life threatening and can be treated effectively at home.

What exactly is a tension type headache?

It is described as moderate but constant pain or pressure on both sides of the head, sometimes behind the eyes or in the neck. It doesn’t include nausea or vomiting and routine physical activity shouldn’t affect the pain but one could experience sensitivity to light or noise. It normally builds during the day and can last for 30 minutes to six hours. They are more frequent in women than in men.

Tension-headaches can be caused by:

over-exertion through exercise

depression

certain foods

hunger

eye strain or poor eyesight

poor posture

stress, anxiety and anger

medication overuse

Self-help:

Tension- type headaches do not usually warrant a trip to the doctor. Here are some ways to help treat and reduce your headaches at home:

Diary: As with all ills, prevention is better than cure. Avioding what triggers the headache is the best way to do so. Keeping a diary of your headaches is a useful tool to determine what your triggers are.

Warmth: A hot bath or shower, or a hot flanel to the neck or forehead can help relax tight muscles.

Exercise: Regular exercise such as walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or yoga can help prevent headaches. Stretching can ease the ache in your shoulders and neck. Very simple stretches include lifting your shoulders and dropping them again or rolling them gently forwards and backwards. Breathing exercises can also be very helpful.

Painkillers: Over the counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen taken at the time of the headache are usually effective. It is recommended to take a full dose as soon as the headache starts, and then following up with a second dose after four hours (see and follow the instructions on the medication packet).

It is important not to rely too heavily on painkillers. The body can become addicted to the medication from prolonged use (more than a few days ar a time) resulting in withdrawal headaches.

Sleep: With tension-type headaches as well as with migraines sleep is often the best remedy. A short nap or just lying down on the bed and closing your eyes for 20 minutes can give your mind and muscles a chance to relax.

Massage: Massaging the shoulders and neck stimulates blood flow to the tense areas, easing the pain. A head massage can also relieve headaches caused by eyestrain.

Find what helps you relax: It might be some music, a TV programme, a walk, a cup of herbal tea, a craft project, a hot bath or a combination of these things. You could mark down in your headache diary, along with what might have caused the headache, what seemed to remedy it. The same thing might not always help, but it is good to have a bunch of ready remedies to draw on.

I’ve found that pressing lightly with my fingers around the inside of the eye socket and more firmly between the eyebrows and on the temples is most effective for eyestrain. Reducing how much I read or watch TV also helps. If I cannot avoid it, then I make a point to look away at something in the distance every so often to rest my eyes.

When to go to a GP:

You should have yourself checked out if your headaches are:

frequent or severe,

accompanied by a very stiff neck, fever, nausea, vomiting, and confusion,

sudden and feel different to what you normally experience as a headache,

have started after an accident, involving a blow to your head, or a jerk to the spine,

accompanied by confusion, weakness, numbness and/or difficulty speaking.

Sources:

NHS: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Headache/Pages/Introduction.aspx

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