Tension headaches are categorized as either episodic or chronic. Episodic headaches last 30 minutes to a week for fewer than 15 days a month, while chronic headaches last hours or are continuous for more than 15 days a month. Chronic tension type headaches also exhibit symptoms that include:

• Tightness or pressure across your forehead, down the sides and across the back of your head
• Dull, aching pain
• Scalp tenderness
• Neck pain with shoulder muscle involvement.

There is a difference between tension headaches and migraines. Most people don’t suffer from one or the other, but from some combination of the two. Tension headaches usually don’t have visual disturbances or nausea. But stress does seem to aggravate or trigger chronic tension headaches.

Also, being active often makes migraine pain worse, but it doesn’t affect tension headache pain. Interestingly, while activities and foods can trigger or aggravate migraines, the causes of chronic tension headaches are relatively unknown. Some doctors claim that muscle contractions due to stress or tension cause them, but research hasn’t proven this. The latest research seems to suggest that those who deal with chronic tension headaches may have a heightened sensitivity to pain.