Headaches can be a nuisance. In addition to being really painful, headaches can actually prevent you from thinking straight and keep you from doing your daily chores. Headaches can occur two or more times a week and may even last for several months. And because, it can severely affect work attitude, companies lose millions of dollars from employees who fail to meet their production capabilities.

The most common type of headache, the tension headache, involves mild to moderate pain in the head area. Sometimes, the pain may even reach the scalp, the temples and the neck, often accompanied by tightness in the muscles of these body parts.

Unlike migraine headaches, which may occur in a localized area and in a longer duration, tension headaches are less severe and less long lasting. It however occurs more frequently and with no warning signs. People suffering from tension headaches will often feel tightness in their heads. These headaches are often exacerbated by physical and environmental factors such as noise, heat, light and other sensorial triggers.

What are the symptoms of tension headaches? Mostly, people will feel pain in the forehead even all the way down to the back of the neck. It is like someone's hands are on both sides squeezing the life out of the person or the world is slowly caving in.

Unlike a flu, the tension headache cannot be detected and this will just happen. It will occur in the late afternoon or in the evening if the employee is pulling long hours on a project. If it is a minor tension headache, the individual can ride it out with a glass of water and a few breathing exercises. Should the pain be severe, it will be a good idea to take aspirin to relieve the pain.

It is always best to go to a doctor if this happens frequently. The professional will be able to determine what is the problem so proper treatment can be given. Tension headaches that are stress related can be cured by going home and resting for a few days.

People who are suffering from something severe such as a migraine or a chronic headache will be prescribed a drug to take care of the problem. It is only when nothing has changed that certain tests have to be done to make sure there is no tumor present.

A tension headache can happen to anyone because it strikes without any warning. There are a lot of things that could have triggered this aside from stress such as the side effects of medication being taken to poor eating habits. It is a good thing this problem does not last long and is nothing serious or life threatening. Tension headaches come and go and can be overcome with or without the use of drugs.

There is a variety of reason why tension headaches occur. Specialists believe that the headaches happen when the muscles in the neck, head and scalp contract or are constricted. One cause of this is dislocation of the muscle area such as when a person spends hours not moving their heads or putting the head at an awkward angle.

Other possible causes of frequent headaches are stress, anxiety and even depressive conditions. Activities such as the use of the computers or the microscope can also contribute as fatigue in the eyes can also cause pain in the head. Another reason for headaches is coldness or extremely low temperature that the person is not used to. Alcohol abuse, excessive smoking, excessive drinking of caffeine, and overexertion can also cause headaches.

Other possible reasons are medical-related such as nasal congestion, colds, flu, and sinusitis. It is also possible that headaches may be a manifestation of underlying problems in the brain such as lesions and constriction in the veins. It is important that you consult with a doctor in case you feel that your headache is becoming worse.