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
- drink plenty of water
- get plenty of rest if you have a cold or the flu
- try to relax – stress can make headaches worse
- take paracetamol or ibuprofen
- 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
- 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 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
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.
Call 999 or go to A&E if you or your child:
Non-urgent advice:
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:
- having a cold or flu
- stress
- drinking too much alcohol
- bad posture
- eyesight problems
- not eating regular meals
- not drinking enough fluids (dehydration)
- taking too many painkillers
- having your period or during menopause