NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Tension headache

Tension headaches, which were renamed tension-type headaches by the International Headache Society in 1988, are the most common type of primary headaches. The pain can radiate from the neck, back, eyes, or other muscle groups in the body. Tension-type headaches account for nearly 90% of all headaches. Approximately 3% of population suffers from chronic-tension type headache.^[1] The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease. ... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) is a coding of diseases and signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or diseases, as classified by the World Health Organization (WHO). ... // G00-G99 - Diseases of the nervous system (G00-G09) Inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (G00) Bacterial meningitis, not elsewhere classified (G01) Meningitis in bacterial diseases classified elsewhere (G02) Meningitis in other infectious and parasitic diseases classified elsewhere (G03) Meningitis due to other and unspecified causes (G04) Encephalitis, myelitis... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease. ... The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... The Disease Bold textDatabase is a free website that provides information about the relationships between medical conditions, symptoms, and medications. ... eMedicine is an online clinical medical knowledge base that was founded in 1996. ... Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a huge controlled vocabulary (or metadata system) for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books in the life sciences. ... The International Headache Society (IHS) was founded in 1981,incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee in 1994 and registered as a charity in England and Wales in 1995. ... A headache (cephalalgia in medical terminology) is a condition of pain in the head; sometimes neck or upper back pain may also be interpreted as a headache. ...

Frequency and duration

Tension-type headaches can be episodic or chronic.^[2] Episodic tension-type headaches are defined as tension-type headaches occurring less than 15 days a month, whereas chronic tension headaches occur 15 days or more a month for at least 6 months. Tension-type headaches can last from minutes to days or even months, though a typical tension headache lasts 4-6 hours. An episode is to television and radio what a chapter is to a book: a part of a sequence of a body of work. ... In medicine, a chronic disease is a disease that is long-lasting or recurrent. ...

Pain and possible symptoms

Tension-type headache pain is often described as a constant pressure, as if the head were being squeezed in a vise. The pain is frequently bilateral which means it is present on both sides of the head at once. Tension-type headache pain is typically mild to moderate, but may be severe. In contrast to migraine, the pain does not increase during exercise. Bench vise A vise (American and Canadian English) or vice (British English) is a mechanical screw apparatus used for holding or clamping a work piece to allow work to be performed on it using other tools, such as saws, planes, drills, mills, screwdrivers, sandpaper, In general, vises have a fixed... Bilateralism is a term referring to trade or political relations between two states. ...

Pain arising from tension in the neck can often be identified by comparing any pain caused by coughing or sneezing normally with that which arises while pressing with one's hand against the forehead (which reduces the tension placed on the muscles at the back of the neck). If the pain is less it suggests that muscular tension in the neck is the cause of the headache.

Cause and pathophysiology

Various precipitating factors may cause TTH in susceptible individuals [1]. One half of patients with TTH identify stress or hunger as a precipitating factor .

The exact cause of tension-type headaches is still unknown. It is suggested that abnormalities in the peripheral and central nervous systems may be involved in the pathophysiology of TTH. It has long been believed that they are caused by muscle tension around the head and neck and the restriction of blood flow to those areas as a result, the cause of which is in often the presence of an unresolved subconscious emotional conflict and anxiety. One of the theories says that the main cause for tension type headaches and migraine is teeth clenching which causes a chronic contraction of the temporalis muscle. Although muscle tension may be involved, scientists now believe there is not one single cause for this type of headache. Another theory is that the pain may be caused by a malfunctioning pain filter which is located in the brain stem. The view is that the brain misinterprets information, for example from the temporal muscle or other muscles, and interprets this signal as pain. One of the main molecules which is probably involved is serotonin. Evidence for this theory comes from the fact that chronic tension-type headaches may be successfully treated with certain antidepressants such as amitriptyline. However, the analgesic effect of amitriptyline in chronic tension-type headache is not solely due to serotonin reuptake inhibition, and likely other mechanisms are involved. Recent studies of nitric oxide (NO) mechanisms suggest that NO may play a key role in the pathophysiology of CTTH.^[3]. The sensitization of pain pathways may be caused by or associated with activation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and the generation of NO. Patients with chronic tension-type headache have increased muscle and skin pain sensitivity, demonstrated by low mechanical, thermal and electrical pain thresholds. Hyperexcitability of central nociceptive neurons (in trigeminal spinal nucleus, thalamus, and cerebral cortex) is believed to be involved in the pathophysiology of chronic tension-type headache.^[4] Recent evidence for generalized increased pain sensitivity or hyperalgesia in CTTH strongly suggests that pain processing in the central nervous system is abnormal in this primary headache disorder. Moreover, a dysfunction in pain inhibitory systems may also play a role in the pathophysiology of chronic tension-type headache.^[5] Muscle tone (aka residual muscle tension or tonus) is the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Douglas LaBiers Book Cover. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... The temporalis muscle is one of the muscles of mastication. ... Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract of animals including humans. ... Amitriptyline (or Amitryptyline) hydrochloride (sold as Elavil, Tryptanol, Endep, Elatrol, Tryptizol, Trepiline, Laroxyl) is a tricyclic antidepressant drug. ... R-phrases , , , , S-phrases , , , Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, Îµr, etc. ... â€œHurtingâ€ redirects here. ... The trigeminal nerve is the fifth (V) cranial nerve, and carries sensory information from most of the face, as well as motor supply to the muscles of mastication (the muscles enabling chewing), tensor tympani (in the ear) and other muscles in the floor of the mouth. ... The thalamus (from Greek Î¸Î¬Î»Î±Î¼Î¿Ï‚ = bedroom, chamber, IPA= /ËˆÎ¸Ã¦lÉ™mÉ™s/) is a pair and symmetric part of the brain. ... Location of the cerebral cortex Slice of the cerebral cortex, ca. ... Hyperalgesia is an extreme sensitivity to pain, which in one form is caused by damage to nociceptors in the bodys soft tissues. ...

Treatment

Episodic tension-type headaches generally respond well to over-the-counter analgesics, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin. The effect of the analgesic is boosted if either caffeine (a cup of coffee) or a dose of the sedative antihistamine diphenhydramine (Benadryl, 25mg) is taken at the same time. However, these medications should be avoided in cases of chronic tension-type headache, due to the risk of medication overuse headaches.^{[citation needed]} An analgesic (colloquially known as a painkiller) is any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain (achieve analgesia). ... Paracetamol (INN) (IPA: ) or acetaminophen (USAN), is a common analgesic and antipyretic drug that is used for the relief of fever, headaches, and other minor aches and pains. ... Ibuprofen (INN) (IPA: ) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) originally marketed as Nurofen and since under various trademarks including Act-3, Advil, Brufen, Dorival, Herron Blue, Panafen, Motrin, Nuprin and Ipren or Ibumetin (Sweden), Ibuprom (Poland), IbuHEXAL, Moment (Italy), Ibux (Norway). ... Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid (IPA: ), (acetosal) is a drug in the family of salicylates, often used as an analgesic (to relieve minor aches and pains), antipyretic (to reduce fever), and as an anti-inflammatory. ... Diphenhydramine hydrochloride (trade name Benadryl, as produced by J&J, or Dimedrol outside the U.S.) is an over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamine and sedative. ... Rebound headaches, also known as medication overuse headaches, occur when pain medications (analgesics) are taken too frequently to relieve headache. ...

Chronic tension-type headaches are more difficult to treat. Some therapies that are suggested for chronic tension-type headaches include:

Tension headaches are exacerbated by states or activities that induce muscle tension, such as stress. Avoiding such states can lessen the frequency of tension headaches. Tension headaches can also be provoked by other conditions, such as an upper respiratory infection. Often the best treatment for a mild tension headache that does not impair a person's ability to function is simple endurance. Many tension headache sufferers receive relief from sleep. However, it is always best to see your physician for a full work-up of the headaches. Amitriptyline (or Amitryptyline) hydrochloride (sold as Elavil, Tryptanol, Endep, Elatrol, Tryptizol, Trepiline, Laroxyl) is a tricyclic antidepressant drug. ... Mirtazapine is an antidepressant introduced by Organon International in 1996 used for the treatment of mild to severe depression. ... This article concentrates on human swimming. ... Acupuncture chart from Hua Shou (fl. ... Biofeedback mechanism. ... Massager Jacuzzi in the Santiago BernabÃ©u Stadium. ... Relaxation techniques are used by people who wish to relax, for a wide variety of reasons. ... Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique of stress management developed by American physician Edmund Jacobson in the early 1920s. ... Autogenic training is a term for a relaxation technique developed by the German psychiatrist Johannes Schultz first published in 1932. ... Stress (roughly the opposite of relaxation) is a medical term for a wide range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and psychological, which can cause a physiological response called the general adaptation syndrome, first described in 1936 by Hans Selye in the journal Nature. ... For the Codename: Kids Next Door character with this name, see Common Cold. ... Sleep is the state of natural rest observed in humans and throughout the animal kingdom, in all mammals and birds, and in many reptiles, amphibians, and fish. ...

Prognosis

Tension headaches that do not occur as a symptom of another condition may be painful, but are not harmful. It is usually possible to receive relief from treatment. Tension headaches that occur as a symptom of another condition are usually relieved when the underlying condition is treated. Frequent use of pain medications in patients with tension-type headache may lead to the development of medication overuse headache or rebound headache. Rebound headaches, also known as medication overuse headaches, occur when pain medications (analgesics) are taken too frequently to relieve headache. ...

References

See also

Cluster headaches are rare, extremely painful and debilitating headaches that occur in groups or clusters. ... Rebound headaches, also known as medication overuse headaches, occur when pain medications (analgesics) are taken too frequently to relieve headache. ...

External links

Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Headaches This article is about the sleeping disorder. ... Hypersomnia, also known as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), is excessive amount of sleepiness. ... Sleep apnea or sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. ... Narcolepsy is a neurological condition most characterized by Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS). ... Cataplexy is a medical condition which often affects people who have narcolepsy, a disorder whose principal signs are EDS (Excessive Daytime Sleepiness), sleep attacks, and disturbed nighttime sleep. ... Nerves (yellow) Nerves redirects here. ... Nerve roots can refer to: Dorsal root Ventral root Category: ... PLEXUS (Physics Learning EXperience Using Software) is a name of project that was started by Vibor Cipan, physics student form Croatia and it is based on utilization of usage of computer technology to enhance learning of physics. ... Trigeminal neuralgia, or Tic Douloureux, is a neuropathic disorder of the trigeminal nerve that causes episodes of intense pain in the eyes, lips, nose, scalp, forehead, and jaw. ... Bells palsy (or facial palsy) is characterised by facial drooping on the affected half, due to malfunction of the facial nerve (VII cranial nerve), which controls the muscles of the face. ... Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) consists of a group of distinct disorders that affect the nerves in the brachial plexus (nerves that pass into the arms from the neck) and various nerves and blood vessels between the base of the neck and axilla (armpit). ... This article is about the syndrome. ... Mononeuropathy (or mononeuritis) is a type of neuropathy that only affects a single peripheral or cranial nerve. ... This article is about the medical condition. ... Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic condition characterized by severe pain following injury to bone and soft tissue. ... Meralgia paraesthetica or meralgia paresthetica (see spelling differences) (me-ral-gee-a par-es-thet-i-ka) is numbness or pain in the outer thigh not caused by injury to the thigh, but by injury to a nerve that extends from the thigh to the spinal column. ... Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a painful foot condition in which the tibial nerve is impinged and compressed as it travels though the tarsal tunnel. ... Polyneuropathy is a neurological disorder that occurs when many peripheral nerves throughout the body malfunction simultaneously. ... The peripheral nervous system or PNS, is part of the nervous system, and consists of the nerves and neurons that reside or extend outside the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to serve the limbs and organs, for example. ... Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, known also as Hereditary Motor and Sensory Neuropathy (HMSN) or Peroneal Muscular Atrophy, is a heterogeneous inherited disorder of nerves (neuropathy) that is characterized by loss of muscle tissue and touch sensation, predominantly in the feet and legs but also in the hands and arms in... Dejerine-Sottas Syndrome/Neuropathy (hereditary motor and sensory polyneuropathy type III; sometimes also described as a subtype III of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease) is an autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive neuropathy. ... Refsums disease (Refsum-ThiÃ©baut disease, Refsum-ThiÃ©baut-Klenk-Kahlke disease), named after Norwegian neurologist Sigvald Bernhard Refsum (1907-1991), is an autosomal recessive (Chromosome 10) neurological disease that results in the malformation of myelin sheaths around nerve cells. ... Morvans syndrome (or fibrillary chorea) is a rare disease named after nineteenth century French physician Augustin Marie Morvan (1819-1897). ... Guillain-BarrÃ© syndrome (GBS) or acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy is an acute, autoimmune disease that affects the peripheral nervous system and is usually triggered by an acute infectious process. ... Polyneuropathy is a neurological disorder that occurs when many peripheral nerves throughout the body malfunction simultaneously. ... Alcoholic polyneuropathy is a neurological disorder in which many peripheral nerves throughout the body malfunction simultaneously (a polyneuropathy). ... Electron micrograph showing a cross section through the neuromuscular junction. ... A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle (from Latin musculus little mouse [1]) is contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. ... Myasthenia gravis (sometimes abbreviated MG; from the Greek myastheneia, lit. ... Muscular dystrophy refers to a group of genetic, hereditary muscle diseases that cause progressive muscle weakness. ... Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a chronic, slowly progressing, highly variable inherited multisystemic disease that can manifest at any age from birth to old age. ... Myotonia congenita is a genetic, neuromuscular disorder characterized by the slow relaxation of the muscles. ... Thomsen disease, a form of Myotonia congenita, is a muscular genetic disorder characterized by muscle stiffness (cramp) and an inability of the muscle to relax after a voluntary contraction. ... Neuromyotonia is spontaneous muscular activity resulting from repetitive motor unit action potentials of peripheral origin. ... Paramyotonia congenita is a rare congenital neuromuscular disorder which is characterized by a condition in which the muscles do not relax after contracting (myotonia). ... Centronuclear myopathies (CNM) are a group of congenital myopathies where cell nuclei are abnormally located in skeletal muscle cells. ... Periodic paralysis is a rare group of genetic diseases that lead to weakness or paralysis (rarely death) from common triggers such as cold, heat, high carbohydrate meals, not eating, stress or excitement and physical activity of any kind. ... Hypokalemic periodic paralysis is characterized by a fall in potassium levels in the blood. ... Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), also known as Impressive Syndrome, is an inherited autosomal dominant disorder which affects sodium channels in muscle cells and the ability to regulate potassium levels in the blood of horses. ... Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is a rare disorder of nerve-muscle (neuromuscular) junction. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... (noun) paralytic (a person suffering from paralysis) (adj) paralytic, paralytical (relating to the nature of paralysis) paralytic symptoms (adj) paralytic, paralyzed (affected or subject to paralysis) Drugs which induce paralization are called paralytics, such as Vecuronium, Pancuronium, & Succinylcholine. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Paralysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. ... Spastic diplegia is a neuromuscular type of cerebral palsy involving hypertonia and spasticity in the muscles of the lower extremities, usually those of the legs, hips and pelvis. ... Spastic paraplegia is a form of paraplegia defined by spasticity of the affected muscles, rather than paralysis. ... Paraplegia is a condition in which the lower part of a persons body is paralyzed and cannot willfully function. ... Quadriplegia, also known as tetraplegia, is a symptom in which a human experiences paralysis of all four limbs, although not necessarily total paralysis. ... Diplegia is a form of paralysis affecting one part of the body and the corresponding part on the other side of the body (i. ... In medicine, a Monoplegia is a paralysis of a single limb. ... Cauda equina syndrome is a serious neurologic condition in which there is compression of the vertebral column (spine) affecting the S1-S4 nerve roots. ... Locked-In syndrome is a condition in which a patient is aware and awake, but cannot move or communicate due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body. ... Peripheral neuropathy is the term for damage to nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which may be caused either by diseases of the nerve or from the side-effects of systemic illness. ... Familial dysautonomia, or FD, is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system which affects the development and survival of sensory, sympathetic and some parasympathetic neurons in the autonomic and sensory nervous system resulting in variable symptoms including: insensitivity to pain, inability to produce tears, poor growth, and labile blood pressure... Horners syndrome is a clinical syndrome caused by damage to the sympathetic nervous system. ... Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a degenerative neurological disorder. ... Shy-Drager syndrome is a rare, progressively degenerative disease of the autonomic nervous system. ... Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a chronic type of communicating hydrocephalus whereby the increase in intracranial pressure (ICP) due to accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) becomes stable and that the formation of CSF equilibrates with absorption. ... Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), sometimes called benign intracranial hypertension (BIH) or pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is a neurological disorder that is characterized by increased intracranial pressure (ICP), in the absence of a tumor or other intracranial pathology. ... Encephalopathy literally means disease of the brain. ... Herniation, a deadly side effect of very high intracranial pressure, occurs when the brain shifts across structures within the skull. ... Cerebral edema is swelling of the brain which can occur as the result of a head injury, cardiac arrest or from the lack of proper altitude acclimatization. ... Reyes syndrome is a potentially fatal disease that causes numerous detrimental effects to many organs, especially the brain and liver. ... An uncollapsed syrinx (before surgery). ... Syringobulbia is a medical condition when syrinxes, or fluid filled cavities, affect the brainstem. ... Spinal cord compression develops when the spinal cord is compressed by a tumor, abscess or other lesion. ... Susacs syndrome is a microangiopathy characterized by encephalopathy, branch retinal artery occlusions and hearing loss. ... Krabbe disease (also known as globoid cell leukodystrophy or galactosylceramide lipidosis) is a rare, often fatal degenerative disorder that affects the nervous system. ... Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is the most common form of a family of genetic diseases known as the leukodystrophies, diseases which affect the growth and/or development of myelin, the fatty covering which acts as an insulator around nerve fibres throughout the central and peripherial nervous systems . ... Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a degenerative disorder of myelin, a complex fatty neural tissue that insulates many nerves of the central and peripheral nervous systems. ...

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