Headache

How can you 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
• exercise when you can
• take paracetamol or ibuprofen

DON'T

• drink alcohol
• skip meals (even if you might not feel like eating anything)
• sleep more than you usually would - it can make the headache worse
• strain your eyes for a long time - for example, by looking at a screen

Request an appointment if:

• your headache keeps coming back
• painkillers don't help and your headache gets worse
• you have a bad throbbing pain at the front or side of your head - this could be a migraine or, more rarely, a cluster headache
• you feel sick, vomit and find light or noise painful
• you get other symptoms - for example, your arms or legs feel numb or weak

See a doctor urgently if you have a severe headache and:

• your jaw hurts when eating
• blurred or double vision
• your scalp feels sore

These could be signs that the arteries in your head and neck are inflamed. This needs urgent treatment.

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

• you injured your head badly - for example, from a fall or accident
• the headache came on suddenly and is extremely painful

You have an extremely painful headache and:

• sudden problems speaking or remembering things
• loss of vision
• you're feeling drowsy or confused
• you have a very high temperature, feel hot and shivery, and have a stiff neck or a rash
• the white part of your eye is red

The most common causes of headaches are:

• having a cold or the flu
• stress
• drinking too much alcohol
• bad posture
• eyesight problems
• not eating regular meals
• not drinking enough fluids (dehydration)
• taking too many painkillers
• women having their period or menopause

Source NHS