Which feature is characteristic of tension-type headache symptoms?

Prepare for the Pharmacology IV – Headache Therapeutics Test. Review the therapeutic approaches, tackle multiple-choice questions with explanations, and boost your test-taking confidence. Ace your exam with precision!

Tension-type headache is defined by a dull, pressure-like sensation that feels tight around the head. This quality is nonpulsatile, unlike migraines which are often throbbing or pulsing. The pain in tension-type headaches is usually bilateral and mild to moderate in intensity, and it typically isn’t accompanied by nausea, vomiting, or aura. In contrast, features like aura, unilateral pulsating pain, or severe associated symptoms point away from tension-type headache and toward migraines or other headache types. So the description of dull, nonpulsatile tightness or pressure is the hallmark characteristic of tension-type headaches.