Recognizing tension headache symptoms becomes essential when you suffer from regular painful episodes. The muscles in the back and neck get tense when the body remains in a sitting position or in a posture that strains them. The change in the muscles leads to a discomfort felt in the upper back, neck and head.
Tension headaches affect both sides of the head, left and right. It is possible to feel the headache on just one side, but the pain is more persistent in the neck.
The intensity of the pain varies from mild to moderate and even severe depending on the situation. Moreover, the headache tends to come and go.
Difficulty to fall asleep because of the pain in neck, shoulders and head has been reported by some patients.
Sensitivity to light and strong sound may appear as well. Such reactions are considered normal for most types of headache, although they are less frequently associated with tension headaches.
There are no other specific tension headache symptoms, yet, medical examination is advisable to rule out other health problems.
Treating tension headache symptoms
Tension headaches ought to be taken seriously and treated because they can lead to other indirect symptoms or problems. For example, lack of sleep may cause irritability, loss of appetite and the inability to carry on with regular daily activities.
Stretching exercises improve body posture and eliminate the tension in the back, neck and shoulders. Regular physical activity eliminate such problems and even prevent them from happening.
Massaging the shoulders and the neck also releases tension, alleviating the discomfort of the headache.
A heated pad or an ice compress can help with the tension headache symptoms.
Ibuprofen, paracetamol (Tylenol) and similar analgesics ease the painful episode immediately. They can be purchased without prescription, and can be used to prevent tension headaches.
When to use medication?
Always use drugs according to doctor’s orders. Even if analgesics are available without prescription, you should not abuse them because they are drugs and have their own side effects.
There have been cases when the frequent use of medication has led to an aggravation of the headache as such.
It’s considered a lot healthier to actually try the non-medical forms of treatment, particularly if the discomfort is not debilitating or interfering with your regular tasks.
Physical activity that triggers tension headaches
Some people experience tension headaches after very intense physical activity and incorrect performance of certain exercises. Take for instance crunches. Many people make the mistake of stretching their head out when rising their body from the floor. This could lead to strains in the neck muscles and headaches. The entire effort of lifting the shoulder blades from the floor ought to be made from the abdominal muscles, while the head and neck remain immobile.
Crunches are just an example, but we could also mention the use of gym weight machines. If you are new to gym training, don’t hesitate to ask the fitness instructor about the correct way to workout. If you don’t pay attention to the correctness of the body posture during exercises, you may experience worse health problems than tension headache symptoms.