What Is A Tension Headache, And Why Does Medication Seem Ineffective?

Unlike migraines, tension headaches are not necessarily debilitating. Also known as stress headaches, they remain the most common type of headache afflicting adults. Unfortunately, they can persist upward of 15 or more days per month, and medications may offer relief for sufferers. Thus, finding the best type of treatment requires out-of-the-box thinking, which may include massage therapy in Chicago and Hinsdale.

Why Don’t Medications Help With Tension Headaches?

Pain associated with tension headaches may wavier from mild to severe throughout the course of a day. People suffering may feel as though they can wait to take medications, enabling the continuation of pain. In other cases, the causes of the headache cannot be treated by traditional pain relievers.

What Causes Tension Headaches?

Tension headaches may be caused by a variety of factors, which include the following:

Sleep deprivation from not getting at least hours nightly may contribute to tension headaches.
Bad or poor posture, which may be common during long commutes, can allow stress and tension to build in the muscles of the back and neck.
Mental stress from work, school or home may cause people to make poor choices.
Anxiety over responsibilities or financial troubles can lead to sleep deprivation as well.
Fatigue from tension headaches only adds to overall stress.
Low iron levels may prevent the brain and body from obtaining enough oxygen.
Hunger from waiting to eat, such as while working or when in school, can cause tension and stress in the muscles and brain concurrently.
The obvious solution to tension headaches caused by sleep, hunger or low iron levels is to correct the imbalance. In other words, eating or sleeping appropriately may relieve symptoms. However, headaches caused by the remaining factors follow treatments for each respective cause.