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Tension-type headache can become chronic for some people, with approximately 3% of people have a tension-type headache on most days.
Possible causes of muscle contraction associated with tension headaches include:
For further information, please see Treatment for Tension Headaches.
Possible causes of muscle contraction associated with tension headaches include:
- stress, emotional –tension, depression & anxiety.
- fatigue.
- poor posture.
- neck and back problems
- eye strain.
- tobacco and alcohol use.
- allergies, dust, food etc.
- in women, hormonal changes occurring before and after a menstrual period.
For further information, please see Treatment for Tension Headaches.
Migraine Headaches
Migraine facts:
There are two types of migraine:
Factors that have been identified as being associated with migraines:
How is migraine diagnosed?
Your GP or therapist will ask you about history of any previous illnesses, family background, diet and lifestyle. They will ask for information about the headache, its length, duration, location, associated features, quality and causative factors.
For more information, please see Treatment for Migraines.
Further help is available in the NICE guidelines for headaches and migraines in the pdf file below.
- Migraine is the cause of 20 % of all headaches.
- It affects 15% of adults in the UK.
- They affect women more frequently than men.
- Usually first present before 40 years of age.
- This type of headache occurs when blood vessels of the head and neck constrict, resulting in a decrease in blood flow to the vessels, and then subsequently dilate causing pain.
- Migraine is usually experienced as a severe throbbing pain at the front or on one side of the head. Some people also have associated feelings of sickness and sensitivity to light and sound, sweating, tummy pain, feeling very hot or cold.
- Commonly lasts from a few hours to one or two days in some cases.
There are two types of migraine:
- Classical migraine is when you have a warning sign, known as aura, before the migraine begins. About a third of people with migraine have this. Warning signs may include visual problems (such as flashing lights) and stiffness in the neck, shoulders or limbs, tingling sensation in the limbs, difficulty in co-ordination or speaking.
- Common migraine is when there is no aura.
Factors that have been identified as being associated with migraines:
- Family history of migraine.
- Tension and stress.
- Alcohol use.
- Smoking or exposure to tobacco smoke.
- Lack of sleep and fatigue.
- For women, menstrual periods and the use of oral contraceptives.
- Foods such as chocolate, nuts and fermented or pickled condiments, as well as foods containing the amino acid tyramine (aged cheese, red wine, smoked fish) and foods containing preservatives and artificial sweeteners.
How is migraine diagnosed?
Your GP or therapist will ask you about history of any previous illnesses, family background, diet and lifestyle. They will ask for information about the headache, its length, duration, location, associated features, quality and causative factors.
For more information, please see Treatment for Migraines.
Further help is available in the NICE guidelines for headaches and migraines in the pdf file below.
| Nice Guidelines (2015) for over 12s: Diagnosis and Management |