Tension headache

This is the most common type of primary headache disorder (1).

Tension headache describes a pain which has at least two of the following characteristics:

• mild to moderate in severity
• bilateral
• often felt as a pressure or constriction
• not accompanied by significant systemic upset or neurological deficits
• not aggravated by routine physical activity such as walking or climbing stairs (2)

Episodes of headaches usually last from 30 minutes to 7 days. Nausea or vomiting does not occur but their might be either photophobia or phonophobia associated with the disease (2).

Cause of the headache cannot be attributed to another disease e.g. - post trauma, brain tumors etc

The spectrum of severity includes:

• patients with mild and infrequent attacks who do not consider that they have a disease
• patients with daily, almost continuous, pain

Tension type headaches may be seen together with migraine in some patients with frequent headaches (3).

Reference:

• (1) Headache classification subcommittee of the international headache society. The international classification of headache disorders.2nd edition. Cephalagia 2004; 1:24
• (2) Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) 2008. Diagnosis and management of headache in adults
• (3) British Association for the Study of Headache 2007. Guidelines for All Healthcare Professionals in the Diagnosis and Management of Migraine Tension-Type, Cluster and Medication-Overuse Headache