Flu Headache: What It Feels Like and How to Treat It

During flu season, there are certain symptoms you just can’t ignore. Once you start coming down with a cough, fever, or fatigue, you’ll know it’s time to stay home and start treating your flu symptoms.

But did you know that headaches are also a sign of flu illness? If you’re experiencing a headache, along with other flu symptoms, here’s what you can expect and what you can do to feel better.

Does the flu cause headaches?

Yes, the flu can cause headaches.

Headaches can be an early sign that you’re coming down with the flu. They often come on suddenly. But the biggest clue that you may have the flu is that your headache begins around the same time as other flu symptoms, including:

• Fever or chills

• Body aches

• Fatigue

• Dry cough

Studies have found that headaches are common among people with the flu, occurring in anywhere between 60% and 90% of people.

What does a flu headache feel like?

A flu headache can feel like a dull, aching, or throbbing pain. It may affect your entire head, rather than one specific area. The intensity can vary, but most people describe them as being moderately painful. You may need to take a break from your activities because of pain.

Getting sick with the flu can also trigger a migraine. So, if you’re prone to migraines, you may experience a migraine attack or more intense migraine symptoms while you’re sick.

How does the flu cause headaches?

It’s not clear exactly why the flu causes headaches. Several things may play a role:

• Immune response: When you get the flu, your immune system responds by releasing cytokines. These proteins help coordinate your body’s defense against the virus. The resulting inflammation may contribute to headache pain.

• Fever: Fever can contribute to headaches, although not everyone with the flu develops a fever.

• Dehydration: When you have a fever, your body loses fluid faster than normal. And when you’re sick, you may not feel like drinking or eating. This can lead to dehydration, which may trigger or worsen a headache. 

• Sinus congestion: The flu can cause a buildup of mucus in your nose and sinuses. Sinus congestion can cause painful pressure in the forehead and around the eyes, leading to a sinus headache.

How long does a flu headache last?

A flu headache usually improves as the rest of your flu symptoms get better. For many people, this happens within 3 to 7 days.

Contact a healthcare professional if your headache is getting worse, doesn’t respond to home treatment, or continues after your other flu symptoms have gone away. A lingering headache can have a few different causes, including a sinus infection.

Remedies for a flu headache

Since flu headaches are short lived, you can usually treat them at home with over-the-counter (OTC) and home remedies. Here are some self-care treatments that can relieve your headache as you recover from the flu.

Flu headache vs. COVID headache

The flu and COVID-19 can both cause headaches, along with other symptoms, such as fever, cough, fatigue, and body aches. There isn’t a specific headache location or sensation that can reliably tell you which infection you have. 

There are many types of headaches. And there are many causes beyond COVID and the flu. 

Paying attention to the location and timing of your headache, as well as any other symptoms you’re experiencing, can give you important clues. For example, a flu headache usually starts around the same time as other flu symptoms, like fever and body aches, and improves as they improve. A headache that shows up on its own is more likely to be another type of headache, like a migraine.

If you’re having lingering headaches, it’s a good idea to visit a healthcare professional. Some people get COVID and the flu at the same time. And, unlike headaches from the flu, COVID illness can trigger chronic headaches. You may need a long-term treatment plan to help you manage COVID-related headaches.

When to see a healthcare professional

For most people, the flu causes mild illness that can be treated at home. But some people have a higher risk of developing complications, such as pneumonia. The risk is higher for:

• Young children

• Pregnant women

• Older adults

• People with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes)

If you’re in one of these groups, contact a healthcare professional when your flu symptoms start. You may benefit from antiviral treatment. 

Keep in mind that the flu can cause severe symptoms in anyone. Seek medical care if:

• You have a severe headache or neck stiffness. 

• Your symptoms improve and then return or worsen.

• Your fever persists or comes back. 

• You have trouble breathing or shortness of breath. 

• You feel very weak, dizzy, or dehydrated. 

• You have chest pain. 

How can you prevent the flu and flu headaches?

The best way to lower your risk of getting seriously sick from the flu is to get a flu vaccine. The flu vaccine is only moderately effective at preventing the flu. But it’s still worth getting every year. That’s because if you do end up getting the flu after being vaccinated, it’ll be a much milder illness with less severe symptoms, compared to if you didn’t get the shot.

Other steps that can lower your risk of getting the flu include:

• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick

• Washing your hands regularly

• Limiting how often your touch your face, especially with unwashed hands

There’s no guaranteed way to prevent a headache once you have the flu. But staying hydrated, getting plenty of rest, and treating fever or congestion may help lessen headache pain.

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Written by:

Christine Giordano, MD

Christine Giordano, MD, is board-certified in general internal medicine. She received her medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and completed residency at Thomas Jefferson University.

Edited by:

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN, is a California-based registered nurse and staff medical editor at GoodRx, where he focuses on clinical updates and Latino health.

Reviewed by:

Farzon A. Nahvi, MD

Farzon Nahvi, MD, is an emergency medicine physician and author of “Code Gray: Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER.” He works at Concord Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire, and teaches at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

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