How Long Can Tension Headaches Last?

Frequent episodic tension headaches occur less than 15 days a month for at least three months. These headaches can become chronic and last for a few hours, several days, weeks, or even months. Any activity that causes the head to stay in one position for a long time without moving can cause a headache. This includes typing or other computer work, working with your hands, and using a microscope.

Sleeping in a cold room or sleeping with your neck in an abnormal position can also lead to a tension headache. The average tension headache, the most common type of headache, lasts about four hours. But for some people, severe headaches go on much longer, sometimes for several days. These “endless headaches” can even provoke anxiety.

Most headaches are not life-threatening, but occasionally a headache is a sign of a very serious condition. If you have a headache 15 or more days each month for a period of 3 months, you may have chronic tension headaches. These headaches are also the type of pain reliever that is most likely to cause medication overuse headache if used regularly. If over-the-counter medicines don't stop your headaches well enough or if you have a lot of headaches, your doctor may prescribe medicines to prevent headaches.

However, a proportion of these patients may have developed drug overuse headaches (drug-induced headaches) as a result of their tension headaches. Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) is sometimes injected into the muscles of the face and head to treat headaches. You may be able to prevent or reduce tension headaches by learning what causes your headaches and try to avoid those triggers. While chronic tension headaches can disrupt your life, tension headaches usually don't cause serious health problems. Medication overuse headache is caused by taking pain relievers (or triptan medicines) too often for tension headaches or migraine attacks.

Your seasonal headache can be a headache in the spring, a summer migraine or an allergy headache This is what the official medical publication that classifies all headache disorders calls this headache. Write down when you have a headache and how bad it is, along with details like what you ate and what you were doing when the headache started. This medicine does not treat the headache instantly, but should be taken daily for several months until the headaches subside. It should be noted that medication overuse headache (drug-induced headache) should be ruled out (described above), as it can often be confused with chronic tension headache. Write down when you have a headache and how bad it is, along with details such as what you ate and what you were doing before the headache started. Finding and avoiding the things or triggers that cause tension headaches can reduce how often you have headaches and how severe they are when you have them.

Debora Lehneis
Debora Lehneis

Award-winning food advocate. Subtly charming bacon practitioner. Alcohol enthusiast. Proud travel aficionado. Incurable twitter scholar.

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