Frequently the sufferer will claim the pain is present every day without a break, although the intensity may vary considerably during this time. Sleep is not usually affected, although the headache is often present on waking or soon after. Tension headaches rarely begin during childhood or adolescence but more commonly during middle age. They are more common in women than men. There are no laboratory tests for tension headache.
Brain scans are normal.
The diagnosis rests entirely on the characteristics of the headache outlined above. For the great majority of patients, tension headaches get better on their own and no specific treatment is required. Infrequent and mild tension headaches respond well to simple painkillers such as paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen. If headaches are severe and very frequent, such medicines may be consumed in ever increasing quantities with no or only partial relief. These substances taken in excessive quantities for long periods may actually make tension headache worse and should be gradually withdrawn completely.