Causes of tension headaches

"Tension type" headaches are the most common type of headache among adults, accounting for about 90 percent of all headaches diagnosed. There is no single cause, and tension-type headaches do not run in families. In some people, they are thought to be caused by tightened muscles in the back of the neck and scalp. This muscle tension may be an outcome of inadequate rest, poor posture, or emotional or mental stress, including depression. In others, tightened muscles are not characteristic of their headaches, and the cause is unknown.

Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control America's Best Hospitals for Neurology and Neurosurgery More from the Brain & Behavior Center Headache-Related Clinical Trials Information Email this page Print this section

Tension-type headaches are usually triggered by some type of environmental or internal stress. The most common sources of stress include family, social relationships, friends, work, and school. Examples of stressors include:

• Having problems at home
• Having a new child
• Having no close friends
• Returning to school or training; preparing for tests or exams
• Going on a vacation
• Starting a new job
• Losing a job
• Being overweight
• Deadlines at work
• Competing in sports or other activities
• Being a perfectionist
• Not getting enough sleep
• Being overextended, involved in too many activities

Episodic tension headaches are usually triggered by an isolated stressful situation or a buildup of stress. Daily stress, such as from a high-pressure job, can lead to chronic tension headaches. Chronic daily tension headaches affect approximately 3 percent of the population. Chronic tension headaches tend to be more common in females and in students who are high achievers.