Tension Headaches
Danette C. Taylor, DO, MS, FACN
Dr. Taylor has a passion for treating patients as individuals. In practice since 1994, she has a wide range of experience in treating patients with many types of movement disorders and dementias. In addition to patient care, she is actively involved in the training of residents and medical students, and has been both primary and secondary investigator in numerous research studies through the years. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine (Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology). She graduated with a BS degree from Alma College, and an MS (biomechanics) from Michigan State University. She received her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Her internship and residency were completed at Botsford General Hospital. Additionally, she completed a fellowship in movement disorders with Dr. Peter LeWitt. She has been named a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychiatrists. She is board-certified in neurology by the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry. She has authored several articles and lectured extensively; she continues to write questions for two national medical boards. Dr. Taylor is a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Council (MSAC) of the Alzheimer's Association of Michigan, and is a reviewer for the journal Clinical Neuropharmacology.
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
- What is a tension headache?
- What causes tension headaches?
- What are the symptoms of tension headache?
- How are tension headaches diagnosed?
- What is the treatment for tension headache?
- Are home remedies effective for tension headache?
- Can tension headaches be prevented?
- Headache & Migraine Triggers - Slideshow
- Take the Headache Quiz
- Patient Comments: Tension Headache - Symptoms
- Find a local Neurologist in your town
What is a tension headache?
Headache -- a condition so common it's the punch line for a number of jokes, but when you're experiencing a headache, it's no laughing matter. Why do people develop headache? What can be done to make the headache better? And, can anything be done to prevent the headache in the first place?
When most people discuss headache, they're typically referring to the most frequently experienced type of headache, a tension headache (also known as tension-type headache). Almost 50% of adults experienced a headache in the past year; fortunately, for the majority of those individuals, the headache was mild, short-lived, and likely fell into the category of tension headache.
Tension headache isn't limited to adults. Children and teens can experience tension headache as well, with as many as 15% of children having experienced tension headache by age 15. Females are diagnosed with about twice the number of tension headaches as males.
What causes tension headaches?
The exact cause of tension headache isn't known; however, many factors probably play a role in why people develop headache. This can range from lack of sleep, to skipping meals, or an increased amount of stress (leading to a frequent description of these headaches as “stress headaches”). Underlying illness or eye strain can frequently cause headache. Muscular tension caused by poor posture, over exertion, or anxiety may also contribute.
In children, headache may be seen as a response to changes in school or home situations.
Patient Comments
Viewers share their comments
- •
- Submit »
- •
- Submit »
- •
- Submit »
http://www.medicinenet.com/tension_headache/article.htm
Living Better
Find the secrets to longer life.






