Which is a recommended treatment for mild-moderate tension-type headache?

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!

Multiple Choice

Which is a recommended treatment for mild-moderate tension-type headache?

For mild-to-moderate tension-type headache, the preferred first-line option is an NSAID. These drugs work by inhibiting COX enzymes, which lowers prostaglandin production. Prostaglandins contribute to pain and peripheral sensitization in the muscles and meninges around the head, so reducing their production helps relieve the tight, diffuse pain characteristic of tension-type headaches. The anti-inflammatory action also helps address any muscle-related component of the tension. Among the individual choices, acetaminophen can relieve pain but lacks the anti-inflammatory effect of NSAIDs, and aspirin—while an NSAID—tends to have higher gastrointestinal and bleeding risks, making it a less favored first-line option for routine tension-type headaches. An NSAID class (which includes drugs like ibuprofen) captures the most effective, commonly recommended approach for this headache type. So, the class of NSAIDs is the best answer because it represents the most reliable first-line analgesic with anti-inflammatory activity for mild-to-moderate tension-type headaches.

For mild-to-moderate tension-type headache, the preferred first-line option is an NSAID. These drugs work by inhibiting COX enzymes, which lowers prostaglandin production. Prostaglandins contribute to pain and peripheral sensitization in the muscles and meninges around the head, so reducing their production helps relieve the tight, diffuse pain characteristic of tension-type headaches. The anti-inflammatory action also helps address any muscle-related component of the tension.

Among the individual choices, acetaminophen can relieve pain but lacks the anti-inflammatory effect of NSAIDs, and aspirin—while an NSAID—tends to have higher gastrointestinal and bleeding risks, making it a less favored first-line option for routine tension-type headaches. An NSAID class (which includes drugs like ibuprofen) captures the most effective, commonly recommended approach for this headache type.

So, the class of NSAIDs is the best answer because it represents the most reliable first-line analgesic with anti-inflammatory activity for mild-to-moderate tension-type headaches.

More practice questions