Prevalence of tension-type headache in individuals aged between 18-65 years in the eastern parts of Turkey

Objective: Although tension-type headache (TTHA) is one of the most frequently encountered diseases in the general population, relatively few studies have been conducted on this health condition. The published data are limited on the frequency of TTHA in Turkey, and no studies to date have been initiated on the prevalence of TTHA in the city of Erzurum or the Eastern Anatolian Region. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted using in-depth interviews from 1972 individuals from city of Erzurum. TTHA was queried in patients with a history of headache, according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders diagnostic criteria, and the frequency of TTHA was investigated. Results: A total of 1972 patients were enrolled in this study. The frequency reached a peak between the ages of 40-49 years (35%), and it significantly declined after the age of 49. During an examination (palpation), cranial muscle sensitivity was detected in 33% of the patients. Conclusion: The frequency of TTHA has been identified as 22.3% in patients between the ages of 18-65. The frequency of tension type headache in the city of Erzurum was lower than that in the general population of Turkey. © 2014 by the Atatürk University School of Medicine.