VHI’s Dr Bernadette Carr answers your questions

I am a man in my mid 40s and over the last few months I have had a number of tension-type headaches.

I seem to get the headaches when I am tired or stressed. I don’t want to keep taking painkillers, should I talk to my GP?

Although their cause is unclear, tension-type headaches are the most common form of headache and most people will experience them at some time. The pain from the headache can seem like a tightness round the head, some people do feel pressure in their head unrelated to any physical activities. Most will last a few hours, though they can last much longer, up to seven days.