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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

A tension headache is generally a diffuse, mild to moderate pain in your head that's often described as feeling like a tight band around your head. A tension headache (tension-type headache) is the most common type of headache, and yet its causes aren't well understood.

Treatments for tension headaches are available. Managing a tension headache is often a balance between fostering healthy habits, finding effective nondrug treatments and using medications appropriately.

Symptoms
References
  1. Taylor FR. Tension-type headache in adults: Acute treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 26, 2013.
  2. Olesen J, et al. The international classification of headache disorders. http://ihs-classification.org/en/. http://ihs-classification.org/en/. Accessed April 24, 2013.
  3. Pluta RM. JAMA patient page: Tension-type headache. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2011;306:450.
  4. Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Online. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=4. Accessed April 24, 2013.
  5. Aminoff MJ, et al. Clinical Neurology. 8th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=66. Accessed April 24, 2013.
  6. Linde K, et al. Acupuncture for tension-type headache. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/view/0/index.html. Accessed April 24, 2013.
  7. Fumal A, et al. Tension-type headache: Current research and clinical management. Lancet Neurology. 2008;7:70.
  8. Daily diary. American Headache Society Committee for Headache Education. http://www.achenet.org/resources/headache_diaries/. Accessed April 24, 2013.
  9. Verhagen AP, et al. Lack of benefit for prophylactic drugs of tension-type headache in adults: A systematic review. Family Practice. 2010;27:151.
  10. Headache hygiene tips. American Headache Society Committee for Headache Education. http://www.achenet.org/resources/trigger_avoidance_information/. Accessed April 17, 2013.
  11. Cathcart S, et al. Stress and tension-type headache mechanisms. Cephalalgia. 2010;30:1250.
  12. Taylor FR. Tension-type headache in adults: Preventive treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 26, 2013.
DS00304 July 16, 2013

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