Call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance, or go to the hospital emergency department if you have a headache and: it comes on suddenly, is very severe, or has made you lose consciousness. you have suffered a head injury. you have trouble seeing, walking or speaking.
If the sudden onset of a headache prevents you from performing daily tasks, is significantly debilitating, or is accompanied by the following symptoms, you should seek emergency treatment near you: Difficulty walking. Fever. Neurological symptoms including weakness, numbing, slurred speech and blurred vision.
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.
Without effective treatment, migraine attacks usually last for four to 24 hours. When you're suffering a migraine, even four hours is far too long — and that's why early treatment for a migraine is so important.
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.
Schedule a doctor's visit
See a doctor if you experience headaches that: Occur more often than usual. Are more severe than usual. Worsen or don't improve with appropriate use of over-the-counter drugs.
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.
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.
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. Headache medication does not relieve chronic or excruciating pain.
They are often described as dull, "pressure-type" headaches, though some patients also experience sharp or "stabbing" pain. They can be localized to a specific area or generalized. They can be made worse with coughing, sneezing or straining.
This can include infections, colds, and fevers. Headaches are also common with conditions like sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses), a throat infection, or an ear infection. In some cases, headaches can result from a blow to the head or, rarely, a sign of a more serious medical problem. Stress.
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.
The most common trigger that makes patients difficult to treat is medication overuse. A patient who is taking an over-the-counter medication that contains caffeine on a daily basis, may not get better. The very medicine they take to relieve their pain triggers their next headache as it wears off.
Medication overuse headaches or rebound headaches are caused by regular, long-term use of medication to treat headaches, such as migraines. Pain relievers offer relief for occasional headaches. But if you take them more than a couple of days a week, they may trigger medication overuse headaches.
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.
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.
Schedule an appointment with your doctor if: Your headache gets worse or doesn't improve with an over-the-counter pain medication. Your headache prevents you from working, sleeping or going about your daily activities. Your headaches start occurring more often than usual or are more painful and intense than usual.
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.
Get urgent medical attention if you have severe, unusual pain or other signs and symptoms. Your headache may be a sign of an underlying illness or health condition. Your headache pain may be serious if you have: sudden, very intense headache pain (thunderclap headache)
antiemetics to help relieve nausea and pain. dihydroergotamine, which is specifically used for prolonged migraine treatment. nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and steroids to reduce inflammation and pain. sumatriptan, which provides urgent migraine relief.
A sudden, severe headache is the key symptom of a ruptured aneurysm. This headache is often described as the "worst headache" ever experienced. In addition to a severe headache, common signs and symptoms of a ruptured aneurysm include: Nausea and vomiting.
The easiest way to differentiate between the two is to pay attention to sensations. A migraine headache produces sensations like auras, flashing lights, or tingling skin, while a stroke-related headache causes sensations to be lost, such as a loss of vision or feeling.
A sudden severe headache can be a sign of a stroke. Other common symptoms are: Numbness or weakness, especially on one side of your body. Trouble speaking or trouble understanding others.