The pain is usually worse at the back of the head, or base of the spine. Tension headaches may recur for many days on end, and are often triggered by stress, fatigue, noise or glaring lights. These headaches are quite common. It is not easy to determine just what causes them in any one person.
Muscle tension plays a role, as do the day to day pressures of life.
Simple pain killers such as aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen may help. Medications used to treat migraines may help if the over the counter medications are not helpful. Exploring the reason why one is tense may help direct treatment. Sometimes we can remove the stressors from our life. More often, we must learn ways to cope with them.