Tension Type Headache
A tension-type headache (TTH) is generally a mild to moderate pain that’s often described as feeling like a tight band around the head. A tension-type headache is the most common type of headache, yet its causes aren’t well understood.
Treatments for tension-type headaches are available. Managing a tension-type headache is often a balance between practicing healthy habits, finding effective nondrug treatments and using medications appropriately.
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. Stress and muscle tension are often factors in these headaches. Tension headaches typically don’t cause nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light.
Episodic tension-type headaches
Episodic tension-type headaches can last from 30 minutes to a week. Frequent episodic tension-type headaches occur less than 15 days a month for at least three months. Frequent episodic tension-type headaches may become chronic.
Chronic tension-type headaches
This type of tension-type headache lasts hours and may be continuous. If your headaches occur 15 or more days a month for at least three months, they’re considered chronic.
Tension-type headaches versus migraines
Tension-type headaches can be difficult to distinguish from migraines. Plus, if you have frequent episodic tension-type headaches, you can also have migraines.
Unlike some forms of migraine, tension-type headaches usually aren’t associated with visual disturbances, nausea or vomiting. Although physical activity typically aggravates migraine pain, it doesn’t make tension-type headache pain worse. An increased sensitivity to either light or sound can occur with a tension-type headache, but this symptom isn’t common.
Prevalence
Tension-type headaches (TTH) are common, with a lifetime prevalence in the general population ranging between 30% and 78% in different studies. They affect approximately 1.4 billion people or 20.8% of the population
Ref: Santosa AA, Widyadharma IP, Laksmidewi AA. THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EXCESSIVE USE OF SMARTPHONE AND TENSION-TYPE HEADACHE IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. International Journal of Medical Reviews and Case Reports. 2019;3(4):173-6.
Large-scale epidemiological studies have shown TTH prevalence in the general population to vary between 42 and 78% .
Ref: Danilov AB, Danilov AB, Kurushina OV, Shestel EA, Zhivolupov SA, Latysheva NV. Safety and efficacy of melatonin in chronic tension-type headache: a post-marketing real-world surveillance program. Pain and Therapy. 2020 Dec;9(2):741-50.
The mean global prevalence of tension-type headache (TTH) in adult is 42 %. Crude past-year prevalence for definite TTH was 19.4 % (95 % CI 16.8-21.9), namely 9.0 % (95 % CI 7.1-10.8) for infrequent TTH, 9.8 % (95 % CI 7.9-11.8) for frequent TTH, and 0.6 % (95 % CI 0.1-1) for chronic TTH. Crude prevalence for probable TTH was 2.3 % (95 % CI 1.3-3.3).
Ref: Ferrante T, Manzoni GC, Russo M, Camarda C, Taga A, Veronesi L, Pasquarella C, Sansebastiano G, Torelli P. Prevalence of tension-type headache in adult general population: the PACE study and review of the literature. Neurological Sciences. 2013 May;34(1):137-8.
According to the WHO, the prevalence of adults complaining of recent headache (at least one episode within the last year) is 47%.
Ref: Malik A, Awan S, Sonawalla A, Ahmed F, Wasay M. Awareness and approach to headache: a survey of family physicians in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS). 2018;13(4):5-10.
A descriptive retrospective study was carried out at Department of Medicine, Shalamar Hospital, Lahore from January 2019 to December 2020.Out of 400 subjects, the frequency of migraine and tension type headache was 46% and 24%, respectively. Chronic daily headache was present in 12% and 18% were diagnosed as other headaches. Only one case of cluster headache was seen. There was female predominance being 67% of total subjects.
Ref: Iqbal S, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Abid Butt R, Adil AU, Sarwar U. Frequency of primary headache disorders; A retrospective study. Rawal Medical Journal. 2022 Jan;47(1):34-6.