Definition
Tension headache - also called tension headache - is a particular form of headache, which mainly affects female patients.
Among the different forms of headache, the tension-type one is certainly among the most widespread. Attacks of tension headache have a duration that can vary from 30 minutes up to 5-7 days and can occur both in acute form and in chronic or recurrent form.
Causes
The causes of tension headache are not fully known. In the past, it was believed that the triggering cause was to be found in a continuous and involuntary contraction of the muscles of the neck, temples, forehead and nape, attributable to stress conditions (hence the name "muscle-tension headache).
Currently, however, although a precise cause has not yet been identified, it is believed that tension headache can be caused by a set of different factors that concur with each other. Among these factors, we remember anxious and depressive disorders, asthenopia, neck pain and dental malocclusion.
Symptoms
Naturally, since it is a form of headache, the main symptom of tension headache is cranial pain, which is perceived as constricting and localized mainly in the frontal region. The pain is often bilateral, but does not have symptoms such as nausea or photophobia that are typical of migraine attacks.
The information on Tension Headache - Tension Headache Drugs is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Tension Headache - Tension Headache Drugs.
Medicines
Although tension headache is considered to be one of the least painful forms of headache, the quality of life of patients who suffer from it can still be negatively affected in the long run; not to mention that at the base of this disorder there could be more serious pathological causes, such as, for example, anxiety and depression.
Therefore, the first step to take in the treatment of tension headache is to identify the triggering cause, so as to be able to establish an "adequate therapy aimed at its treatment.
In addition to this, the doctor may prescribe the administration of drugs to treat the head pain that characterizes this form of headache.
Furthermore, in association with drug therapy, the doctor can advise the patient to undergo any complementary therapies, such as massage therapy, biofeedback and possibly behavioral therapies.
The following are the drugs most used in the therapy against tension headache and some examples of pharmacological specialties; it is up to the doctor to choose the active ingredient and dosage most suitable for the patient, based on the severity of the disease, the state of health of the patient and his response to treatment.
Paracetamol
Paracetamol (Tachipirina®, Efferalgan®) is an active ingredient widely used in the treatment of many types of headache and which can also be successfully used in the treatment of tension headache.
It belongs to the class of analgesics-antipyretics and, when used to relieve tension headache pain, is usually given orally.
It is available both in tablets, which must be swallowed whole with a little water, and in orodispersible pharmaceutical formulations, to be taken sublingually.
In these cases, the dose of paracetamol usually administered is 500-1,000 mg, to be taken as needed as soon as it is felt that the headache attack is starting.
NSAIDs
Even NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) - similar to paracetamol - are active ingredients widely used to counteract the pain triggered by multiple forms of headache, including tension headache.
Thanks to their mechanism of action, these drugs are able to exert both an analgesic and anti-inflammatory action.
Among the numerous active ingredients, belonging to this class of drugs, which can be used in the treatment of tension headache, we remember:
- Acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin®, Vivin C®). This active ingredient is available in different pharmaceutical formulations, but for the treatment of tension headache, it is usually administered orally at a dose of 300-400 mg to be taken as needed.
- Diclofenac (Dicloreum®). Diclofenac can also be administered orally in the treatment of tension headache. Generally, this active ingredient is taken at a dose of 25-50 mg, as soon as the headache attack begins.
- Ibuprofen (Brufen®, Moment®, Nurofen®, Arfen®). Ibuprofen is an NSAID used to treat both migraine attacks and headache attacks, so it can also be used for tension headaches.
When administered orally, the dose of drug usually used in these cases is 200-400 mg, to be taken as needed. If necessary, the doctor may also decide to increase the dose to 600 mg of the drug. - Naproxen (Momendol®, Synflex®): for the treatment of tension headache or other forms of headache, such as migraine, naproxen is administered orally at doses ranging from 200 mg up to 550 mg of active ingredient, to be taken as needed.
Amitriptyline
Amitriptyline (Laroxyl®) is an active ingredient belonging to the class of tricyclic antidepressant drugs which - in addition to being used, obviously, for the treatment of depression - has also proved particularly useful in the preventive treatment of migraines and chronic headaches; therefore, it can be used successfully in the preventive therapy of recurrent tension headache.
Amitriptyline is available for oral administration in the form of tablets or oral drops. For the prevention of chronic tension headache, it is usually given at a starting dose of 30-50 mg per day. Thereafter, this dose - depending on the response of the patient to therapy - it may be gradually decreased or increased until the most suitable dosage is reached to obtain the desired effect.
In any case, the doctor will decide - case by case - the exact dosage of medicine that each patient will have to take. Therefore, it is essential to follow the instructions provided by him.
