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Health A to Z

Headaches

Most headaches go away on their own and are not

a sign of something more serious.

How you can ease headaches

yourself
Headaches can last between 30 minutes and several
hours.

Do

drink plenty of water

get plenty of rest if you have a cold or

the flu

try to relax – stress can make headaches

worse

take paracetamol or ibuprofen

try to stay at home and avoid contact

with other people if you have a high
temperature or you do not feel well
enough to do your normal activities

Don’t

do not drink alcohol

do not skip meals (even if you might not

feel like eating anything)

do not sleep more than you usually

would – it can make the headache worse

do not strain your eyes for a long time –

for example, by looking at a screen

See a GP if:

your headache keeps coming back

painkillers do not help and your headache

gets worse

you have a bad throbbing pain at the front

or side of your head – it could be a
migraine or, more rarely, a cluster
headache

you feel sick, vomit and find light or noise

painful

Get an urgent GP appointment or

call 111 if:

You or your child has a severe headache and:

jaw pain when eating

blurred or double vision

a sore scalp

other symptoms, such as numbness or

weakness in the arms or legs

Also get an urgent GP appointment or call

111 if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of
the following:

a headache that wakes them at night

a headache when they wake up in the

morning

a headache that gets progressively worse

a headache triggered or made worse by

coughing, sneezing or bending down

a headache with vomiting

a headache with a squint (where the eyes

point in different directions) or an inability
to look upward

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Call 999 or go to A&E if you or your

child:

has a head injury – for example, from a fall

or accident

has a headache that came on suddenly and

is extremely painful

You or your child has an extremely painful

headache and:

sudden problems speaking or remembering

things

loss of vision

feel drowsy or confused

has a very high temperature and symptoms

of meningitis

the white part of the eye is red

Also call 999 or go to A&E if your child is

under 12 and has any 1 of the following:

a headache with vision problems or

difficulty speaking, swallowing, balancing
or walking

a headache with drowsiness or a persistent

lack of energy

a headache that starts within 5 days of a

head injury

What can cause headaches

The most common reasons are:

having a cold or flu

stress

drinking too much alcohol

bad posture

eyesight problems

not eating regular meals

not drinking enough fluids (dehydration)

taking too many painkillers

having your period or during menopause

Page last reviewed: 09 February 2021

Next review due: 09 February 2024

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