Prevention

Finding and avoiding the things—or triggers—that lead to tension headaches can reduce how often you get headaches and how bad they are when you do get them.

Headache triggers can include:

• Stress.
• Anxiety.
• Fatigue.
• Hunger.

Using a headache diary(What is a PDF document?) can help you find your triggers. You write down when you have a headache and how bad it is, along with details such as what you ate and what you were doing before the headache started. This information can help you avoid things that bring on your headaches. And the diary also can help your doctor plan your treatment.

For more information, see:

Headaches: Finding and Avoiding Triggers.

If you have headaches caused by muscle tension in your neck, shoulders, and upper back, pay attention to your posture during your daily activities. You also can try muscle relaxation and other ways to reduce muscle tension. For more information, see Living With Tension Headaches.

Your doctor also may prescribe medicine to help prevent tension headaches.