Tension Headache and Smoking

Tension Headaches and Stress Headache

Tension headache is very common and is typically experienced as a dull, non-throbbing pain in the back of the neck or in a "headband" distribution.

Symptoms

People with a headache may have symptoms including uncomfortable sensations described as pain, throbbing, aching, dullness, heaviness, and tightness in the head. People with a headache may also experience discomfort that is often worsened by movement or pressure and may be associated with irritability, problems sleeping, and fatigue.

One controlled study that included patients with muscle-contraction headache as well as other types of headache, revealed that smokers had significantly more severe headache episodes than nonsmokers.¹ Although other studies have not found an association between smoking and headaches, stopping smoking is always a good idea for many health reasons.