Symptoms include:

• Dull pain, tightness, and/or pressure in the forehead or back of neck, shoulders, and/or jaw
• Fatigue
• Headache that begins in the latter part of the day
• Irritability
• Mild sensitivity to light, noise, and/or smell
• Muscle aches
• Trouble focusing

Diagnostic tests include:

• Blood tests (to check for underlying issues)
• Computed tomography scan (CT or CAT scan)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Sinus X-rays

Forms of tension headaches include:

• Episodic tension headaches occur less than 15 days per month.
• Chronic tension headaches occur more than 15 days a month.

There is no single cause for tension headaches. Some triggers include:

Stress (work, family, school, friends, or relationships)

Muscle tension (from alcohol use, anxiety, fatigue, jaw problems, insufficient rest, other reasons)

• Tension headaches can last from 30 minutes to a few days.
• They often start in the middle of the day.
• About 3% of adults have chronic daily tension headaches.
• Women are twice as likely to get them as men.