Treatment of tension-type headache, symptoms and prevention

Tension-type headache (TTH, tenzionnaya, tensor) - is one of the most common types of headache symptoms who suffer every 4 out of 5 people on the planet. Age and gender do not matter. HDN is manifested painful herpes zoster and the nature of the body weakness. It manifests itself in two forms: episodic with a feeling of squeezing the sides of the head, and chronic and long with strong attacks.

The disease provokes mental and emotional stress. According to a study by American scientists, one in three people in the US are familiar with the diagnosis of "tension headache." According to statistics, about 90% of people experience it at least once a year. HDN explored since the late 19th century, except for her serious illness. It was believed that it affects only intelligent people and those who are prone to hysteria.

What it is?

Tension headache - is a condition in which a person feels compression, tension or dull discomfort in the head.

This phenomenon is often associated with short-term and daily stress. Persistent headache voltage indicates such condition as depression and anxiety. Headache tension acts as the most common form of headache.

Causes of

Tension headache, the symptoms of which can be ignored for a long time, begins with:

1. Diseases of the cervical vertebral column.
2. Abuse of alcohol and smoking.
3. Being in a stuffy room.
4. Chronic fatigue.
5. Incorrect posture, uneven posture.
6. A sharp change in weather.
7. Uncomfortable position during sleep.
8. Muscular stress (when you have to sit a lot, overstrained cervical-facial and eye muscles).
9. Imbalance of pain and analgesic reactions.
10. Uncontrolled taking painkillers and tranquilizers.
11. Malnutrition.
12. Depression.

Imbalance and analgesic pain reactions starts with decreasing hormone production serotonin - natural analgesic substance. Receptors having own threshold excitation start and operate properly apply pulses pain even with a small stimulation (touch, coughing, sneezing). Tension headache is accompanied by neuroses, asthenia, hypochondria

Constant stress and fatigue lead to spasms, accompanied by muscle tension. There is a compression of the blood vessels. Power disrupted cells deteriorates metabolism and appears pain syndrome. It is known that the pain does not pose a threat to life. She says that the body needs help to prevent the development of serious disorders.

Not always a person realizes that he is developing a depression in open or closed form. Identify it can doctors through special surveys. It proved that the stresses pain often affects women.

Classification

Tension-type headache is the following species:

1. Infrequent episodic. This type of pain occurs at a frequency of no more than 10 cases of 12 days a year. This kind of pain does not happen more often than 1 time per month.
2. Frequent episodic. This type of pain occurs at intervals of 10 cases of 12-180 days a year. In the month of attacks can occur 1-15 days.
3. Chronic tension-type headache. This type of pain is overgrown episodic headache. It is diagnosed when the frequency of attacks usually 15 days a month, and more than 180 days a year. The course of the disease lasts for 3 months.

All of these types of pain are divided into two types: the mix and can not be combined with stress headache perikranialnyh muscles.

Chronic tension-type headache

For a chronic condition resulting in long-term use of tranquilizers and analgesics. By strengthening chronic headache may also cause permanent emotional stress, starvation, weather changes, strong winds, mental and physical fatigue, work in a stuffy room, use of alcohol, work in the evening and at night, impaired posture when sitting.

Chronic tension-type headache is celebrated in the behavioral reactions of the sick. The mechanism of occurrence of pain depends on the body's adaptation to the environment. It depends on the occurrence of neuronal hyperexcitability to a lack of the brake mechanism in the brain structures. In these structures is processed pain (nociceptive) information.

In addition, this condition occurs due to malfunction of the antinociceptive system, as well as psychosocial maladjustment and as a consequence of personal, behavioral, emotional human reactions at the level of neurotransmitter mechanisms. Under the antinociceptive system is understood neuroendocrine analgesic mechanism. If the pain threshold is decreased, the receptor stimuli are perceived as painful. Perhaps that is the perception of pain without pathological impulses from the sensing receptors.

The organism is able to produce their own painkillers, but the pathology of this mechanism is disturbed or not sufficiently work. Fatigue, emotional stress, reduced psychopathological status monitoring painful sensations of pain impulses in all treatment levels.

Symptoms of tension headaches

Distinguish tension headache dysfunction perikranialnyh muscles and without such a combination. Depending on the duration and frequency of headaches are classified - episodic and chronic tension-type headache.

1. Headache, lasting longer than 2 weeks during the month, and more than six months during the year - a chronic headache.
2. Headache lasting from 30 minutes to 7 days for two weeks in the month, and 6 months of the year - is an episodic headache. It is more common - 80% of all types of headaches.
3. Episodic headache usually less intense, often accompanied by anxiety disorders, It occurs after provoking moments - long visual or mental stress, uncomfortable poses. Chronic headache - almost daily, do not stop, monotonous, it does not change from the stress, intense, accompanied by the development of depression, demonstrative, paranoid personality changes, impaired social activity.
4. Tension-type headache is not accompanied by nausea and vomiting, has no attacks, it has a pulsating character.

When the headache should see a doctor - the family, the therapist, neurologist.

Diagnostics

The patient is required to interrogate about the nature of the professional activity, how long plagued by pain, whether there are gain and what time of day the pain increases. Patients who can not explain how long he was suffering from an illness and what triggers attacks, it is recommended to keep a diary and record for a certain time all the changes. Entries should be as follows: the date, time: headache after work, pain in the neck, enhanced by loud sounds. After 2 hours the headache subsided as a result of receiving an analgesic.

After the collected medical history and patient diary study conducted a number of surveys:

• Palpation: evaluate the degree of pain and tension head and neck muscles.
• X-ray of the cervical spine.
• X-rays of the skull.
• Computed tomography (CT).
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• Rheoencephalography (REG).
• Duplex cerebral vessels.

If the result of the examination the doctor concludes and eliminates the possibility of other pathologies that could cause pain.

How to treat a tension headache?

Consider removing the tension headache. For each patient selected individual treatment tension-type headache, aimed at addressing the root causes. Tension-type headache has two manifestations stage: episodic and chronic.

In the first case, it is rare and quickly. Also called chronic headache, the incidence of which is more than 15 hours a day and 180 days a year. Depending on the stage, note particularly treatments that analyze further.

Treatment of chronic tension-type headache

The diagnosis of "chronic tension headache" - a contraindication to receiving painkillers! In this case they are ineffective and complicate the already difficult task of pain relief.

In the world of the treatment of chronic tension-type headache is used antidepressants:

1. Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline) - appoint a duration of 2-6 months. Begin reception ¼-half tablet, increasing the dose twice every 3 days, and it was adjusted to 75 mg. So take a few months and then subsequently reduce the dose until the complete abolition;
2. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, norepinephrine - Fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Serlift, Zoloft). They are very effective in combating chronic tension headache and thus have significantly fewer side effects than tricyclic antidepressants.
3. Other antidepressants - mianserin (Lerivon) 15 mg 2 times a day, Tianeptine (Coaxil) 12.5 mg 3 times per day.

antidepressant treatment is carried out at least 2 months. This achieves not only analgesic effect, but also normal psycho-vegetative activity, that is, reduced the level of anxiety, fear, emotional stress, normal mood. Thus, it affects not only the pain itself, but also on its causes.

Treatment of episodic tension-type headache

Episodic tension headache does not lead to a sharp decline in activity. It requires periodic application painkillers and muscle relaxants.

To this end, these drugs are used:

• with frequent episodic tension-type headache possible course taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs As an attempt to break the cycle of repetition (e.g., Ibuprofen 400 mg 2-3 times a day during 3 weeks). If a single course application does not lead to the disappearance of headaches, then try to repeat the course useless;
• at infrequent episodic TTH - nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs: Ibuprofen (have Nurofen, Brufen) 400 mg once, Ketoprofen (Ketonal, Flamaks) 25-50 mg, Lornoxicam (Ksefokam) 4-8 mg Meloxicam (Melbek, Movalis) at 7.5-15 mg Naproxen (Bonifen) of 250-500 mg. It is advisable to use drugs no more than 5-10 times per month, so as not to cause rebound headache (pain resulting from abuse taking pain medication);
• HDN if accompanied by muscle tension, muscle relaxants that are shown: Tolperisone (Mydocalm) 150 mg once, tizanidine (Sirdalud, Tizalud) 2-4 mg once daily in combination with taking 500 mg Aspirin. With frequent episodic TTH relaxants prescribed course of 2-4 weeks (Mydocalm 150-450mg / day, Sirdalud 4 mg / day).

As an additional means vitamins can be used in episodic tension headaches B (Neyrorubin, Milgamma, Neurovitan), nootropic drugs (Noofen, Phenibutum, glycine), sedatives (to regulate processes autonomic dysfunction and remove anxiety).

What to do at home?

Treatment of tension-type headache - a lengthy process that requires the interaction of the doctor and the patient. And to begin, after the diagnosis, it is necessary with non-pharmacological measures:

1. Particular attention should be paid to nutrition. It is not excluded that the headache, lingering mood, are associated with poor diets, chronic constipation and autointoxication. Should eat more vegetables, fruits, fiber, seafood, vegetables, and grains. It is advisable to drink plenty of pure water, accustomed to defecate in the same time, and sit at the table hungry. From the diet excludes all refined foods, canned foods, sausages, smoked meats, fast food, fatty foods;
2. I need to sleep at least 8 hours per day, ie to teach yourself go to bed at the same time. sleeping room should be aired, the bed - comfortable. You need to buy an orthopedic pillow, and even a mattress to sleep after the patient felt well rested;
3. You need to review his regime in respect of activity and fixed operation. You need to be interrupted for charging and active rest every 2 hours, if the work is connected with mental activity;
4. Strictly prohibited coffee, spirits and beer, and you should try to give up cigarettes and their substitutes. Even electronic cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a carcinogen;
5. Showing water treatment: a warm relaxing bath, morning douche. If there are no contraindications, you can go to the bath for a short time, "before the first of sweat." This will facilitate the entry of slag and general improvement of the body;
6. We need to find a kind of outdoor activities: hiking in the woods, biking, swimming. All activity that makes the muscles of the neck, neck, arms, load testing, will be useful. In this case, all the accumulated lactic acid per day will leave the muscles, and they will cease to be in a state of chronic spasm;
7. Breathing exercises, sessions of anger management, relaxation.

Sometimes only one well-conducted course of massage causes the patient to forget about the headache. But massage should be performed professionally: the patient should not be painful or uncomfortable during the massage and after the procedure should be a pleasant relaxation, you can even sleep half an hour. Shows a back massage and neck - neck area.

Folk remedies

There are methods such as treatment with herbal infusions, teas, plots, massage, as well as mud and stones.

1. The most popular recipes based on herbal teas. Pretty effective grass mixture (1 tablespoon) thyme, rosemary and sage, are filled in boiled water for 10 minutes drinking. They are used in various herbal herbs such as St. John's wort, strawberry, valerian, peppermint, marigold, chamomile, elder and t. D.
2. Widespread practice of applying compresses to the forehead of raw potato, aloe leaf cabbage, currant juice and viburnum.
3. Head massage at specific points also helps relieve pain. To do this is not very strong massage, pressure is applied at the point of the nose, temples, eyebrows, crown, but not for very long. Not more than one minute each point is massaged.
4. Mud involves mixing it with infusions of lemon, lemon balm, mint, peppermint, garlic and mixtures of attachment to the disease site.

As with any other disease, tension headache is better to prevent than to get rid of taken aback by the attack.

prevention

As mentioned above, tension headache is a condition where a lot of reasons. Accordingly, to prevent its development it is possible, following simple rules:

1. Engage in physical activity at least 3 times a week.
2. Hiking.
3. When sedentary work take breaks every hour for 3-5 minutes. This is enough to bring the muscles in tone.
4. Eat right, giving preference to natural products, fresh vegetables and fruit. Break meals and completely eliminate the long fast. Drink plenty of fluids, abandoning soft drinks in favor of mineral water.
5. When the initial symptoms of headache, try to relax and relieve pain improvised means, including self-massage and warm-up of the cervical spine.

Thus, the tension headache has a lot of preconditions and is not marked by acute symptoms. This allows you to eliminate it without much effort. In identifying the feeling of tightness of the skull more than 180 days a year to consult a specialist.