Cause Of Tension Headaches

Most people focus do not focus on the cause of tension headaches. They just want to get rid of it, as quick as possible.

That makes sense when you are experiencing pain and need to continue with your day or you want to get some sleep at night.

What doesn’t make sense is suffering through repeat headaches without giving some thought to the causes.

Most sufferers eventually come to realize that the route to pain relief is stress relief.

What’s Behind the Pain?

A tension headache is the pain you feel at the end of a long day when all you want to do is bury yourself in the warmth of your bed and sleep it off.

It is the squeezing sensation you feel at your temples, behind your eyes, or through the back of your head into your neck while studying for a big exam.

It can also be the pain you feel when you go too long without eating or experience a traumatic situation.

In the simplest terms, the cause of a tension headache is tension. It is believed that some of these headaches may be caused by changing hormones or chemicals in the brain.

Researchers have also identified tension headaches in some people when they go between meals too long. This creates a different form of tension in the body.

For most people, the primary cause of tension headaches is intense or consistent stress. This includes emotional and physical stress, as well as mental strain.

Stress Relief Brings Pain Relief

Most people just take medication for a headache, without giving thought to the cause of tension headaches or putting effort toward stress relief.

Not only can relieving stress in your daily life ease a current headache, but it can also decrease the number of headaches you experience in the future. In some cases, a lifestyle change can completely stop the occurrence of tension headaches.

Since the primary cause of tension headaches is tension, it makes sense that leading a life with less tension will bring a life with fewer tension headaches.

This is much easier said than done, but there are some behaviors you can adopt to bring stress relief.

Behaviors That Bring Stress Relief              

You may not have to adopt all of these behaviors in order to achieve stress relief and combat the cause of tension headaches, but you should adopt as many as possible for a healthy, pain free lifestyle:

• Identify sources of stress in your life and brainstorm ways to relieve them. Eliminate all of the small things that are not worth stressing over. Designate tasks to others or ask for help if needed.
  
  
• Learn to relax. Lie down and focus on releasing pressure from all muscles in your body, starting at your toes and working your way up to your head. Spend some time with yourself doing something relaxing each day. Lighten your schedule so you have time to relax.
  
  
• Learn to meditate and just enjoy the moment. Meditation brings focus and appreciation for life into your world. Learn to be in the moment, rather than rushing through the moments.
  
  
• Start exercising. Learn to sync your body and mind with yoga. Start walking the dog a couple times a day. Gather your friends and go for a long hike. Exercise should be relaxing and enjoyable. It doesn’t have to be strenuous.
  
  
• Learn to look at the bright side of every situation. Negative thinking can be a cause of tension headaches for many people.
  
  
• Eat frequently throughout the day, just in case some of your headaches are being caused by eating patterns.
  
  
• Drink a lot of water throughout the day to stay hydrated.

The way you think about life and live out your life can determine the number of tension headaches you experience.

The important thing is to realize that you have complete control over your own lifestyle. You may not be able to control the level of stress on the job, but you can control your response to that stress. You can also control how you live outside of the work environment.

You will never be able to eliminate all stress from your life. The goal should be to focus on stress relief daily to eliminate unnecessary stress.

You will overcome some sources of stress while balancing the remaining stress with a healthy lifestyle. 

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