Here you'll learn about the symptoms and causes of tension headaches and what remedies are available to you. One of the more painful headaches, the tension headache, otherwise known of stress headache, can be incredibly annoying and disruptive to everyday life. Tension headache symptoms can range from a constant pain to pulsating on both sides of the head, appearing in the middle of the day and increasing as the day goes on, or in a matter of minutes. Generally, a tension headache can be diagnosed from the symptoms, but some individuals may need a blood exam done to verify the tension headache.
Thankfully, tension headaches are all lifestyle oriented. Much like their name suggests tension headaches are just that, tension within your life. Examine your daily lifestyle. Is there a great deal of stress? Are you sleeping? What is your diet and exercise regime like? How about your emotional state? Are you anxious? Are you stressed? Are you angry? But mostly, how often do you experience headaches?
If you find you are answering yes to most of these questions, then you are a candidate for developing tension headache. Carrying too much emotional and mental stress can increase your chances for tension headaches. Your body physically constricts as tension builds in your muscles. You feel your neck and shoulder muscles tighten causing a throbbing pain that develops in the upper cervical region of your neck.
While lifestyle choices are the main cause of tension headaches, changing positions can help out. Sitting at a computer all day long can cause poor posture and stress. Get up! Take a walk around, make your body move so that it can release that tension built up.
While not as detrimental as the dubious migraine headache, tension headaches can be just as incapacitating as a migraine, and occur in a higher frequency, making them more dreaded than the migraine.
What Can I Do to Relieve Tension Headaches?
How do you relieve tension headache symptoms? Well, remove the tension! Try relaxing throughout your day, by stretching at your desk or walking around several times during the day. Eating a proper balanced diet and getting exercise regularly will help you avoid tension headaches. Consult a physician or a physical therapist to learn the appropriate stretches to relieve stress and tension.
Try saying no sometimes. We all know it is difficult to say no to people, particularly at work, but empowering yourself by saying no can relieve stress within your day. And remember to laugh. Laughter is, after all, the best medicine!
But if you cannot find relief in everyday lifestyle changes, there are prescription medications which a physician can prescribe for you. Midrin is often prescribed for tension headaches which combines the pain reliever acetaminophen with a mild sedative that helps you relax and release the tension.
There are problems with Midrin, though. It should not be overused, or else it could cause severe, irreversible liver damage. The sedative within Midrin can also be addictive. Consult your doctor before taking Midrin or any other drug to manage your tension headaches.
You may also require a mild muscle relaxer to help release the muscles causing the tension headaches. Most tension headache sufferers are prescribed Skelaxin, Zanaflex or Robaxin to relax their bodies. While these drugs are mild, they can still be overused, and cause extreme drowsiness. This is true for Zanaflex, which is a little more potent muscle relaxer and can affect individuals differently. With any prescription, you should not attempt to operate machinery or cars until you know exactly how it will affect the body.
While tension headache symptoms are extremely annoying and unpleasant, they can be controlled with lifestyle changes. Though medications are available, tension headache symptoms cannot be controlled without lifestyle changes. Remember to ask you doctor to discover the causes and explore the possible remedies. You hold the key.
Cindy Heller is a professional writer. To learn more about
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