Causes of Tension Headaches
There is no conclusive cause for tension headaches. They are triggered by a wide variety of stress and strenuous issues. Stress may arise from work, family, friends, school, and other issues you are engaged with that are strenuous. A single stressful situation allowed to build up quickly causes an episodic tension headache. If you are exposed to daily stress you are at high risk of chronic tension headache.
The main cause of tension headaches is muscle contraction in the head and neck regions. The contractions arise due to various determinant factors too. The factors leading to muscle contractions range from consuming certain foods, activities, or stressors. Other minor activities range with people depending on their resilience. For example, staring at a computer screen for a long time or driving for a long time may result in tension headaches. Extreme cold temperatures may also trigger a tension headache.
Other triggers include; alcohol, caffeine, poor posture, a sinus infection, eyestrain, dry eyes, fatigue, smoking, cold or flu, emotional stress. Not getting enough rest, hunger, low iron levels, and dental problems are also likely causes of tension headaches.
The cause of tightened muscles around the neck and shoulders is yet to be found. The tightened muscles accompany tension headaches but are not part of the headache. The clear cause has not been determined yet.
Luckily, tension headaches are not transferable via genes. You will not be inheriting any tension headache from your parents. They do not run in families because they are circumstantial. Unless you share the weight of the same problem, you will not be experiencing tension headaches. This is also highly unlikely because people are affected differently by stressful occurrences. For example, a woman is twice more likely to be affected by a tension headache over an issue more than a man.
