Stress Headache

A fast moving, high pressure lifestyle often lead to a stress headache (also referred to as tension or muscular headaches). They usually manifest in the form of a debilitating pain or pressure behind the eyes. Most sufferers say its like having their head squeezed in a vice.

A stress headache is the most common type of headache and is suffered by men and woman equally. The headaches have been known to last for minutes or days and tend to recur. However, they can also be chronic in nature with some people getting them for more than 15 days in a four week period. For some people, the pain never goes away completely.

Like most other primary headaches, they are actually preventable through regular aerobic exercise as well as walking, swimming, jogging or cycling. Regular aerobic exercise is known to reduces stress, thereby decreasing the frequency of headaches and can even abort an ongoing headache. In fact, people who regularly take gentle exercise or yoga classes are less likely to get a stress headache than people who don't.

Professional massage, accupunture, biofeedback, progressive muscle relaxation, counseling, anxiety management, stress management, tai chi and deep breathing can all help alleviate stress headaches.

For those that prefer to rely on medicine, a combination of painkillers which contain aspirin, paracetamol and caffeine has been shown to be faster and more effective for treating a stress headache than products which contain aspirin or paracetamol and caffeine as single ingredients.

Some doctors believe the the pain is caused by tension or prolonged contraction in the muscles of your neck, face, head or shoulders, hence the name 'tension headaches'. Some researchers disagree and have suggested that muscles tensing sends a message of pain to the brain wrongly. It is for this reason that antidepressants are now commonly prescribed to treat such headaches as they help to relax.

Behavioral science, which studies the human behavior has a lot to offer for stress headache sufferers. These headaches are known to cause inflammation which is a result of chemical reactions triggered by an adrenaline rush, which creates energy in the muscles and nerves. Such inflammation is linked to the nervous system which governs our reaction of "fight or flight". It's how we react to actual or merely perceived challenges, dangers or invasions that catapults the stress. Grinding teeth, clenching fists, chewing gum, frowning, squinting and poor posture often increase under tension and negative emotions.

It is, therefore, a good idea to keep a diary of your stress headaches as this can help you spot the things that trigger your headaches. Daily activities or habits that may seem harmless may actually be the cause of your stress headache as they can be stressful due to their repetitive nature. Sometimes it may mean making life changes to get rid of the excessive tension in your life. That may include employment or relationship changes that will be very difficult to make, but could mean you would no longer have to deal with the constant stress headache pain.

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