tension headache?

Question

my gp says i have tension headache i have had it over a week now nothing is working,any one know what to take for the pain.also how can the gp tell by just pressing on your face that it aint anything more serious i am getting worried there is something wrong as all the tablets i take dont help.

Answer 1

I use to be in the same boat as you. I went to my GP(who I am REALLY glad is not a neurologiest). I kept pushing with my doctor, but he kept saying take Ibuprofen, or Exedrin Migraine(which is only tylenol + caffine, but just the right mix to help). He also didnt want to bother getting an MRI(and yes I am not seeing him anymore). I had been having them for years, and about a year before I was treated, they became 30x worse, and lasted a week or more. When I became pregnant, they were still just as bad, and lasted longer. My OB referred me to a neurologist, and put me on a med to help(by the time I was seeing the neurologist, only tylenold with Codine would barely take the edge off the migraine).

In other words, keep pushing with your doctor, or get a second opinion. You could be a chronic migraine sufferer.

Answer 2

Why dont you do something to relieve the tension, get to the cause not the sympton, try and do some relaxing, take a hot bath then light some candles and listen to some mood music, they should start to calm you down and might start to relieve the headache.. I get them a lot and sometimes the headache is there for days. I tend to take two ibuprofen and one paracetamol at the same time, then go and relax in the dark with the music, usually works for me

Answer 3

well you may be having a migraine not a tension headache, you did'nt say if he prescribed you any meds as he should have, a tension headache can be relieved sometimes by taking a very hot bath(hot as you can stand it) and also having someone massage the back of your neck and your shoulders, but a migraine is all together different and can last along time, i have had migraines for up to 2 weeks and you can just lay in bed in a dark room with icepack they are very debilating and i had eventually had to go to er for a pain shot to fianlly get relief, if you have nausea along with the headache i woul say it is a migraine, alot of time they are diagnosed in the beginning as tension headaches, normally the dr will ask you to describe the type of pain you have to determine the headache type-if it is on one side and a throbbing painthat is intense and relenting it could def, be migraine.

Answer 4

I always think its better to keep to what nature has given us, after all we are part of nature. I was told that headaches r mainly caused by dehydration, which makes sense, if the fluid dries out around the brain it wld b pretty painful, and considering the body needs 8 pints of pure water a day to function properly, obviously, if were nt drinking that amount - we will suffer somewhere.

So if youre nt drinking a lot of water i would make that my 1st pit stop - try it - youve nothing to lose - good luk, n i hope the headaches ease for you **

Answer 5

Poor you - I wonder if part of the problem is 'all the tablets' you are taking - they may be making matters worse rather than better. I would suggest stopping the pills, and trying other ways of curing the pain, such as cold compresses, fresh air, rest, or even acupuncture. Give this a try, but if the pain persists, go back to the doc. Good luck.

Answer 6

#1 get a second oppionion if you think it may be more that what the gr said,

#2 a very effective quick remedee is to sit on a hard chair, very good posture. grab ahold of the bottom of the chair on either side of you. start on one side hold the chair and stretch to the other side. it will stretch the muscles in you neck and relieve some of the tension. do both side a few times holing for 1-2 minute total. also try excedrine tension head ache.

i don't know if i'm the only one in the world, but honestly, i think excedrine in a mirical drug and it cure's every thing for me, cramps, head ache, arthritis. you name it.

Answer 7

Headache is a pain in the head, scalp or neck.
Headaches can be caused by minor problems
like eyestrain, lack of coffee or more serious reasons
like head injury, brain tumors, encephalitis and
meningitis. Taking painkillers continuously can
have harmful side effects, so it is better to
modify your lifestyle. More information available at

Answer 8

Hi - have you tried syndol tablets? My brother has the same - the dr calls them cluster headaches, He gets them often when he's stressed and bizarrely hasn't had anything more serious checked out. Having it for a week may be horrible for you but isn't really long enough for the dr to take it further. I had to have them for months before they sent me anywhere.

Answer 9

As a former massage therapist, I know for a fact that "Tension
Headaches" can be eased or even relieved by massage. I
have done it!!
Have the therapist start at your scalp and massage your entire body FROM the head Down, and ending with your toes.
NEVER!!!! Never massage upward--that will CAUSE you
to have headaches. Massage Therapy is what you need.

Answer 10

Ohhh . Ave Had Presure Across the top off my head jst above my eyes for about 2 weeks now . Doctors said i had tonslitus . Its nearly gone . N my head still feels like its gunna explode . ave been having a lot off tension around my face as well ..

Lots off Sleep helps