Headaches: Tension - Risk Factors

Prognosis

Both episodic tension-type headache and chronic daily headache affect quality of life. Tension-type headache episodes are rarely disabling, however, and rarely require emergency treatment. If they do, there is usually a migraine component occurring with the tension-type headache.

Nevertheless, although they are not medically dangerous, chronic tension headaches can have a negative impact on quality of life, families, and work productivity. Several studies have reported lower quality of life for people with any chronic daily headache compared to those with no headaches or only episodic ones. Many people with chronic tension-type headaches also suffer from anxiety and depression.

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Tension-type headaches can, in most cases, be treated and prevented. Episodes of these headaches can also resolve over time. In one study, nearly half of patients with frequent or chronic tension-type headache were not experiencing headaches when examined 3 years later. Patients who have both tension-type and migraine headaches may face steeper challenges in recovery.

Review Date: 11/15/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).