This article discusses headaches which are NOT caused by Migraine. (We’ll publish a separate article on Migraine Headaches in a future blog post.)

At the Lloyd’s Wellbeing Centre we are constantly providing treatment to patients who have headaches. Headaches have many different causes and it is important to find out the real cause of your headache pain. One study found that of 100 people who believed they had sinus headaches, almost 90% actually seemed to have migraine headaches.

Tension headaches are usually triggered by some type of environmental or internal stress.

Tension Headaches are the most common type of headaches among adults and adolescents.

Symptoms: In some people, tension headaches are caused by tightened muscles in the back of the neck and scalp. These muscle contractions irritate the nerves that run through them and the nerves then send pain messages to the brain. There is usually mild to moderate pain which comes and goes over a prolonged period of time.

Causes: This muscle tension may be caused by:

• Inadequate rest
• Poor posture
• Emotional or mental stress, including depression
• Fatigue
• Hunger or dehydration
• Overexertion

Tension headaches are usually triggered by some type of environmental or internal stress. The most common sources of stress include family, social relationships, friends, work, and school. If there is daily stress, it can lead to chronic tension headaches.

Relief: Here are some ways that you can achieve relief from tension headaches, and possibly prevent the onset of them altogether:

• reducing your stress levels
• checking your posture, especially at a computer
• ensuring that you are eating enough and have enough fluids
• ensuring that you are getting enough rest
• Getting treatment to reduce muscle tension