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
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drink plenty of water
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get plenty of rest if you have a cold or the flu
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try to relax – stress can make headaches worse
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take paracetamol or ibuprofen
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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
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do not drink alcohol
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do not skip meals (even if you might not feel like eating anything)
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do not sleep more than you usually would – it can make the headache worse
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do not strain your eyes for a long time – for example, by looking at a screen
Non-urgent advice: 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
Urgent advice: 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.
Immediate action required: 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:
Page last reviewed: 09 February 2021
Next review due: 09 February 2024