However, some people who experience migraine and tension-type headache may have nausea and vomiting with both. Sensitivity to light or noise may occur with tension-type headache, but generally they do not both occur together. Episodic vs. Chronic As with cluster headache , tension-type headache may be episodic or chronic. Episodic tension headaches may occur less than once a month or as often as several days per week over many months. Tension headaches that occur more days than not for a period of at least six months are considered chronic and should be evaluated by a physician .
Tension headache can occur at any age, but chronic tension-type headache is rare in children.
Chronic tension-type headache generally develops between the ages of 20 and 40. As the name suggests, tension-type headaches result from prolonged contraction of the muscles in the head, neck, or upper back. Such excessive muscle contraction can occur in response to a wide variety of physical, chemical, or emotional factors. The underlying, physiological processes that lead to excessive head and neck muscle contraction and tension-type headache are not entirely understood, but it is likely that multiple mechanisms are involved. Some experts believe that tension-type headache is a milder form of migraine, which is thought to be due, in part, to an inherited biochemical imbalance in the brain.