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Symptoms of Stress Headaches

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Life has become extremely fast and we often find no time to take care of our health, both mental and physical. Lifestyle has become sedentary with almost no physical activities.

As a result of the poor lifestyle, a lot of tension take a toll on us, and the result? A headache!

A headache is simply the pain in the head or in the area around the face or the skull. One can take notice of it with throbbing muscles, dull mood and thumping pain in the muscles.

Headaches occur not just for one or two reasons, but there may be multiple reasons involved in having a headache. Headaches may vary in type of pain, location, how frequently they occur and how severe they are.

Let us read this article that explains in detail about headaches and their symptoms.

Emotional stress headache

Emotions can be complex to understand. Emotional stress headaches have become very common these days.

With people not knowing proper strategies to overcome emotions and stress in their everyday lives, they become a target of an emotional stress headache.

These headaches are caused owing to an imbalance of emotions or poor management of emotions. For instance, feeling dull and sad can trigger emotional stress headaches.

Stress becomes a common trigger to result in a headache.

What helps a stress headache?

Most headaches may not be very dangerous but some types of headaches can turn out to be quite dangerous. Many home remedies can help fight a stress headache.

For instance, complete rest, shutting down digital items like phones or laptops, ice packs, hot shower baths and good sleep can help reduce a stress headache.

Sometimes eating sweets like chocolates or having a cup of green tea may help.

It is better to cure stress without unnecessarily consuming medicines. However, if the stress remains frequent and severe, urgent medical help is needed, either in form of medicines or a doctor consultation.

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What causes tension headaches everyday?

Headaches have become a very common condition nowadays and many experience it frequently or in their everyday lives. Tension headaches may happen everyday for a number of reasons.

It could be due to stress at work, poor commuting timings, traffic, fights or arguments with boss or colleagues or even at home. Headaches are the most common.

Everyday headaches may be a result of poor lifestyle and stress or a serious health condition that would need urgent medical attention.

What does a stress head feel like?

Headaches can take different forms for different people. They occur for different reasons and so a stress head may feel different for different people.

However, the most common way a stressed head feels is dull with a heavy aching head. Some may even experience tightness in the head muscles in the forehead or even at the back of the head.

The pain further trickles down to the shoulder muscles and the neck. The sensation of uneasiness is very common to feel.

Tension headache for a week

Though tension headaches are common, one should not take them lightly. This is the case especially when these tension headaches last for a week or more.

Immediate medical attention is required in such cases. At times, head massages may help alleviate the pain. Also, resting in a dark room that is quiet and away from outdoor noise can be helpful too.

Always remember that any frequent episodes of tension headaches may tend to become chronic. Hence, no negligence should be observed in this case. 

How long does a stress headache last?

Headaches may vary for different people. So, there is no particular limit to how much a stress headache would last. Usually, stress headaches last for around half an hour or an hour.

However, stress headaches may even last for several days and weeks. In such cases, you should visit a doctor and see for any underlying medical condition that you may be unaware of.

Best medicine for tension headache

Different medicines may be needed depending on the severity, type and frequency of the tension headache. In general, normal pain relievers can be used, often without any prescription.

These are the first line of action of treatment for curing the tension headache. For severe pain, one can even take drugs like aspirin, naproxen sodium, and ibuprofen, among others as prescribed by the doctor.

What does an anxiety headache feel like?

As the name suggests, anxiety headaches occur because of the feeling of anxiety. Sometimes, having a headache may also make you anxious and then you start having an anxiety headache.

Anxiety often causes a heavy feeling in the head because the mind might be approaching or experiencing some sort of tension.

For many people, this may be a feeling that could resemble a super tight band which may be tightly wrapped around their head or forehead.

Some people also feel numb in such anxiety headaches. This pain can again be dull and pin-like aching in the head.

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How long do tension headaches last?

Just like stress headaches, tension headaches may vary for different people. You may experience pain around your head, face structure or even the neck and shoulder muscles.

One may feel like something or someone is pressing a tight cloth or band around the head. Tension headaches may last for around half an hour or an hour or sometimes even for a couple of hours.

If tension headaches may last for more than a week, then you should see a doctor. Immediately get yourself checked for any underlying medical condition. 

Where are anxiety headaches located?

Anxiety headaches can be very annoying. They may constantly trigger pain and more stress. Anxiety headaches are located in different places and different people may experience them in different places in the body.

Some locations for anxiety headaches include – areas around the head, back of the neck, in shoulder muscles or sometimes even between shoulder blades.

One may feel tenderness in their neck and pressure around their head.

Headache types

One may experience different types of headaches. Some types may include:

  • Tension headache
  • Migraine headache
  • Anxiety headache
  • Cluster headache

Some headaches may turn out to be more severe usually owing to some serious medical condition. The pain can be excruciating in such cases and often unbearable. These may include:

  • Neck injury
  • Brain injury
  • Brain tumors
  • Meningitis

To know more, please watch the video below.

What causes a tension headache?

Tension headaches are very common nowadays and occur when the head muscles along with the neck muscles become tense. Muscle contractions may result from a response that could be in relation to stress, injury, or anxiety.

One may experience tension headaches irrespective of their age. However, such headaches are most common in adults and teenagers. Poor work-life balance pushes people to go beyond their limits.

This leaves no time for self-care or looking after one’s health. Since each one of us experiences life differently, our causes for getting a headache may also be very different from one another.

Some causes of tension headaches are:

  • Stress
  • Poor sleep 
  • Excessive Caffeine
  • Lifestyle Stress
  • Work Stress
  • Poor relationships
  • Poor diet

Stress headache location

As discussed above, stress headaches may be located across the forehead and around the head or face. They may trickle down to the neck and shoulder muscles too, owing to which one may feel a sensation of tenderness in their muscles.

FAQ relating to symptoms of stress headaches

We often get scared by the slightest of issues concerning our health. However, it is important to keep taking a notice of how we feel and how we live everyday. 

Therefore, it is imperative that we understand our bodies – what they need and what they should avoid. Here are some frequently asked questions relating to the symptoms of stress headaches.

Can stress cause headaches everyday?

First, we need to understand what exactly stress is. It is a feeling of some physical tension or emotional pain. Stress could make you anxious, nervous or angry.

So basically, it is the reaction of one’s body to any external challenge. Since these situations may arise everyday, stress can cause headaches everyday.

What do tumor headaches feel like?

Tumor headaches may feel like a stabbing pain in the head. They impose pressure on the head muscles and induce sharp pain. In some cases, they become worse with coughing or sneezing.

These headaches can be quite dangerous and need urgent medical attention. So, if you doubt having such pain as described above, immediately consult a doctor.

What does a blood pressure headache feel like?

Blood pressure headaches can be dangerous. They are triggered by high blood pressure in the body that may cause a pulsating feeling around the head.

This pain may sometimes just occur in one or the other sides of the head. Additionally, in case the headache becomes severe along with chest pain and short breath, see a doctor immediately.

Does stress cause head pressure?  

Stress is one of the major factors of head pressure. It triggers tension headaches and in some cases migraine. Stress also sometimes makes other headaches worse.

It may make one feel very uneasy, unwell, and anxious. So, yes, stress causes head pressure and sometimes even a serious one too.

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