Tension headache is one of the most common ailments that people face. They are headaches that are caused by tension in the muscles of the head, heck, and upper back. This muscle tension pulls on the body at inappropriate places and causes pain. While tension headaches aren’t life threatening and are very common, they can still decrease your quality of life.
There’s a wide range of tension headache symptoms. For some people tension headaches bring mild head and neck pain. But for others, tension headaches can be very painful and even cause a feeling of nausea. Having a tension headache can often lead to days off of work and limited social engagements. When you have a severe headache the last thing you want to do is go out on the town. And you may even suffer in your family when you don’t have the energy you need to get things done.
If you suffer from regular tension headache, there are many options for you. Many people will feel much better just by taking over the counter pain relievers. In that case, you don’t have too much to worry about. But for some people these drugs aren’t enough to make a dent in the pain.
You may also go to your healthcare provider to get a prescription drug that helps to relax the muscles that are the cause of your pain. These drugs tend to be very effective and can bring relief to a tired headache sufferer. They work quickly and have very few side effects.
But in addition to drugs, you need to look at your lifestyle and try to prevent the headaches in the first place. Are you moving at too frantic of a pace in your life? Is there stress all around you? You may need to slow down and reduce the amount of stress so that you don’t have the muscle tension that causes pain.
You can also reduce tension headaches by practicing stretching and relaxation exercises daily. Doing this can help reduce the tension in your muscles and relieve or even prevent tension headaches. Regular massage can also help to reduce the tension in your neck and shoulders.
While you’re looking at your lifestyle, don’t forget to sit up straight and tall. This old-fashioned advice helps to improve posture and relieve tension on muscles. If you use a computer, make sure your keyboard and monitor are at the correct height for your body. Get up and stretch at regular intervals to give your muscles a break. Tension headaches can be very painful, but they don’t have to control your life.
