Most headaches will go away on their own and aren't 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
- exercise when you can
- take paracetamol or ibuprofen
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 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 GP 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
What can cause headaches
The most common reasons are:
Page last reviewed: 21/12/2017
Next review due: 21/12/2020
Call 111
If you can't speak to your GP and don't know what to do next.