Tension headaches

Common symptoms of tension headaches include: pain on both sides of your head, face or neck feeling like something is pressing on your head or being tightened around it the affected area may feel tender and your head may hurt more when touched You should be able to continue doing daily activities without making the headache worse. Tension headaches last at least 30 minutes but they can last much longer, sometimes for several days.

Common causes of tension headaches include: stress sleep problems caffeine Taking painkillers for headaches too often or for a long time can also cause headaches. These are known as overuse or rebound headaches. Tension headaches are not a sign of an underlying condition.

There are some things you can do to treat a tension headache yourself. Do use painkillers like paracetamol , aspirin and ibuprofen – paracetamol is the first choice of painkiller if you're pregnant, and children under 16 should not take aspirin try doing activities to help you relax like exercise, yoga and massage try changing your sleeping habits if sleep problems like insomnia may be causing your headaches try using a low, firm pillow and heat or cold packs if you have neck pain and headaches Don’t do not have drinks with caffeine in them like tea, coffee or cola - or try to cut down on them A pharmacist can help with headaches You can ask a pharmacist about: the best painkiller to take, if you're not sure which is suitable for you what to do if you're pregnant – some medicines (like ibuprofen) are not recommended in pregnancy medicines for sleep problems like insomnia if you're having trouble sleeping and you think it may be causing your headaches Find a pharmacy

If you have regular tension headaches, a GP may suggest you keep a headache diary to record details of your headaches like: how often you get them and how long they last how painful they are and any other symptoms you have possible causes any medicines you take to help The GP may advise you about taking painkillers for tension headaches, such as when to take medicine and how often you should take it. You may be referred to a specialist if painkillers and activities like exercise do not help reduce your headaches or if it's not clear what's causing them.

An antidepressant medicine called amitriptyline is sometimes recommended to help prevent tension headaches. You'll be prescribed a low-dose to start with, which may be increased later. You usually need to take the medicine for several months before it starts working.