Tension Headaches: Causes, Relief & Management

Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches, and they are typically described as a constant, mild to moderate pain on both sides of the head. They may cause you to experience a sensation of tightness in the head or neck muscles. The cause is unknown, however. The following steps may help in easing the pain of a tension headache.

Things You'll Need

• Place to de-stress
• Ice pack/heat pack
• Bed
• Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, if necessary

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Instructions

• 1

  Take a break. Dealing with a tension headache can be as easy as taking time away from a stressful event, since stress is a common trigger of this kind of headache. Some ways of de-stressing are listening to some soothing music, taking a walk, watching TV and taking a vacation.

• 2

  Sleep, sleep, sleep! Another common trigger of tension headaches is sleep deprivation. Catching some zzz's may be the simplest solution in dealing with a tension headache.

• 3

  Place an ice pack or heat pack where you feel muscle tension. This could be on your head or neck.

• 4

  Eat! Sometimes when blood sugar levels drop, this can trigger a tension headache. Having a snack can nix this.

• 5

  Exercise-it relieves stress, relaxes your muscles and can help you deal with a tension headache since exercise increases beta-endorphin production, a natural stress reliever.

• 6

  Massage your tense muscles. Or better yet, get someone to massage your tense neck and head muscles. This may help to ease the pain as well.

• 7

  Take an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever such as aspirin, acetaminophen (for example, Tylenol) or ibuprofen (for example, Motrin). This may be the solution if you cannot find relief through any non-medicinal treatments.