Seek immediate medical attention if you're experiencing the worst headache you've ever had, lose vision or consciousness, have uncontrollable vomiting, or if your headache lasts more than 72 hours with less than 4 hours pain-free.
Your headache comes on suddenly and is explosive or violent. Your headache is "the worst ever," even if you regularly get headaches. You also have slurred speech, a change in vision, problems moving your arms or legs, loss of balance, confusion, or memory loss with your headache. Your headache gets worse over 24 hours.
By definition, chronic daily headaches occur 15 days or more a month, for longer than three months. True (primary) chronic daily headaches aren't caused by another condition. There are short-lasting and long-lasting chronic daily headaches. Long-lasting headaches last more than four hours.
Seek emergency care if:
The headache is accompanied by high fever, confusion, stiff neck, prolonged vomiting, slurred speech or numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body.
Go to hospital now
sudden onset of the worst headache you've ever had. headache that worsens with exercise or sexual intercourse. neck stiffness (new since the headache started) high fever that doesn't lower with over-the-counter pain medication.
See your doctor if your headaches are frequent, you've had a headache for more than a few days, or your headaches are causing you stress or worry. Rarely, a headache might be a sign of a serious medical condition.
If you've been experiencing the same headache for more than one day, it's possible that you could have a more serious underlying condition that requires emergency medical care. Seek medical attention right away if you're experiencing: a severe headache that began abruptly (within a few seconds)
Common headache triggers include the obvious — like stress and too much alcohol — but they can also be caused by dehydration, bad posture, a lack of sleep, or even strong smells or odors.
Have you ever experienced a headache that lasted for several days? If so, this is not normal. Although this isn't a sign of a serious or life-threatening health problem, it is a sign that you may have a headache disorder or an underlying problem such as TMJ disorder.
See a GP if:
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.
There are numerous potential causes, including migraine, a head injury, or a viral illness, such as COVID-19. Anyone who has a headache for days that does not respond to over-the-counter (OTC) pain relief medication should seek guidance from a doctor.
Every patient's pain experience is unique, but headaches associated with brain tumors tend to be constant and are worse at night or in the early morning. They are often described as dull, "pressure-type" headaches, though some patients also experience sharp or "stabbing" pain.
If left untreated, your headache pain will become moderate to severe. Pain can shift from one side of your head to the other, or it can affect the front of your head, the back of your head or feel like it's affecting your whole head.
In some cases, headaches can result from a blow to the head or, rarely, a sign of a more serious medical problem. Stress. Emotional stress and depression as well as alcohol use, skipping meals, changes in sleep patterns, and taking too much medication. Other causes include neck or back strain due to poor posture.
While a persistent headache isn't automatically a sign of a serious underlying condition, it can be an indicator of a headache disorder. You should seek a professional opinion if you experience a headache that lasts longer than a week.
Episodic tension-type headaches Episodic tension-type headaches can last from 30 minutes to a week, and occur less than 15 days a month for at least three months. Chronic tension-type headaches Chronic tension-type headaches last hours, may be continuous, and occur 15 or more days a month for at least three months.
Tension headaches are very common and most people get them. You can treat them yourself with painkillers but see a GP if you have several headaches a week or they're severe.
Attack. A migraine usually lasts from 4 to 72 hours if untreated. How often migraines occur varies from person to person. Migraines might occur rarely or strike several times a month.
Going to sleep with an untreated migraine is commonly a mistake as it may worsen during the night and become difficult to treat in the morning. If a migraineur is sleep deprived, he or she can expect more migraines, while those who oversleep may wake with attacks that are very resistant to therapy.
Occasional headaches usually require no special medical attention. However, you should consult a doctor if you: Consistently have two or more headaches a week. Take pain reliever for your headaches on most days.
Many headache symptoms can be at least partially alleviated without medication. Here are some tips for homemade headache and migraine relief. Apply an ice pack to your head and neck. Cold compresses on the head and neck are a common home remedy to ease the pain of a migraine attack.
Headaches cause pain in the head, face, or upper neck, and can vary in frequency and intensity. A migraine is an extremely painful primary headache disorder. Migraines usually produce symptoms that are more intense and debilitating than headaches. Some types of migraines do not cause head pain, however.