Headache Treatment at a Top Seattle Pain Center

28 Jul Headache Treatment at a Top Seattle Pain Center

What are Tension Headaches?

Tension headaches are the most common types of headache that occur following a stressful event. It may appear periodically with episodes of less than fifteen days per month or daily. Those who suffer from tension headache have described it as a tight band-like pain, tightness or pressure that occurs around the forehead or the back of the head or neck. The greatest thing about this pain disorder is that there are several treatment options for it.

What are the Causes of Tension Headache?

The main causes of tension headache are not yet known. However, there are several factors that may contribute to occurrence of tension headaches. Research has shown that muscle contraction is not considered a major cause of tension headache.

There is a also a great possibility that tension headache can be caused by cold temperatures. This condition can also be triggered by factor such as:

• Eye strain
• Caffeine
• A flu
• Fatigue
• Emotional stress/depression
• Smoking
• Poor sitting posture
• Stress

What are the Symptoms of Tension Headache?

The following are some of the symptoms associated with tension headache:

• Severe headache
• Tightness sensation around the forehead
• Head pain

The pain can either be mild or moderate, and in some situation, the pain can become so intense. In such situations, there is a possibility of mistaking this condition with a migraine. Migraine is a type of headache that occurs as a result of throbbing pain in the head either on one side or both. In some cases, the tension headache can make the patient become more sensitive to both light and noise.

Diagnosis of Tension Headache

Tension headache can be diagnosed through physical examination. Likewise, the doctor may also perform neurological test. This will enable the doctor to determine the type of headache as well as the cause of the headache.

Some of the most common approaches that the doctor will use include:

• Imaging tests: computerized tomography and Magnetic resonance imaging.
• Pain description: identifying pain location, characteristics and intensity.

What are the Treatment Options for Tension Headache?

There are several treatment options for Tension Headache. The patient can consider home care treatment. This involves taking over-the-counter medication that helps relieve pain for those experiencing tension headache. The major one aspirin and ibuprofen.

One can also use heating pads and hot bath to relieve the pain every day. It is also important to avoid operating a computer or watching television for a while to stop eye strain in the incidence of tension headache. However, such treatments cannot prevent tension headache from recurring.

When tension headache becomes more severe to a point that it affects your daily life, it is recommended that you visit a Seattle headache specialist who will perform some tests to identify the main cause of tension headache.

Some of the main tests to be performed include:

• CT Scan
• MRI

Some other treatment options that you may consider include:

• Taking muscle relaxants
• Antidepressants

Also, it is important to avoid being stressed to help reduce the probability of a tension headache occurring.

Seattle Pain Relief offers top headache treatment with a Double Board Certified Seattle pain management doctor. Several treatment options are offered including medication management and interventional procedures. Call (855) WASH-PAIN for the top headache specialist in Seattle for tension, cluster, migraine headaches!