2.4.3 Probable chronic tension-type headache

A 34-year-old theatre nurse reports long-standing head pain. She experiences headache regularly and finds that the discomfort feels like a constant, dull squeeze rather than a pulsing beat. Standing for long shifts in theatre or moving between wards does not seem to bring on any extra pain. Each episode tends to resolve on its own within about forty-five minutes, well before it could be described as running on for hours or into the next day. She has been going through an unbroken stretch of these headaches for roughly four months now. Throughout, she has never felt sick, not even mildly, and has certainly never vomited or come close to it. Bright theatre lighting does not trouble her, and she notices no particular difficulty with the usual hospital noise. She keeps a rough tally and counts about fifteen headache days most months.