Headache: Your GoodRx Guide

Basics

Most adults have experienced or will experience headaches in their lifetime. It’s one of the most common symptoms reported to medical providers. Headaches can be a nuisance or downright debilitating. They can affect your work, personal life, and even your mental health.

Despite this, headache is a poorly understood symptom. No two people will experience headaches in the same way, and there’s no reliable way to measure them. To make matters worse, the number of possible causes of headache is astounding.

Getting to the bottom of your headache may not be straightforward. There isn’t a single test that can make a diagnosis. Here’s the good news: Skilled medical providers and headache specialists can help figure out what’s going on. There are treatments for the many different types of headache, and serious causes (such as brain tumors) are rare. 

If you struggle with headaches, it’s important to get help. Many people with headache disorders don’t have a diagnosis, which means they probably aren’t getting the treatment they need. Speaking with your provider about your symptoms is an important first step in getting relief.

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Types

Headache is a symptom, which means it’s something that you feel but isn’t obvious to others. It may be a brief feeling of discomfort that doesn’t point to an underlying condition. But if it persists, you may have a headache disorder. There are several types of headache disorders. And according to the International Headache Society, there are three broad categories of headache disorders.

1. Primary headaches

Primary headaches are those without an underlying cause. Most headaches are primary headaches. They include:

• Migraine

• Tension-type headache

• Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, such as cluster headache 

• Other primary headaches

2. Secondary headaches

Secondary headaches are due to something else, such as:  

• Trauma (injury)

• Vascular problems

• Infection

• Dehydration 

• Medication

• Medication overuse

• Mental health diagnoses

• Conditions of the eyes, ears, nose, neck, or mouth

3. Nerve pain headaches

The third category includes pain due to cranial nerve problems and other causes of facial pain. Examples include trigeminal neuralgia and occipital neuralgia. 

These types are important because they determine treatment. For example, treatment for migraine headaches is different from that of headache from an injury.

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Headache relief

There are some indicators about headaches that can help guide your next steps. If you have headaches regularly, but they do not stop you in your tracks, try to keep tabs on them. A headache diary can help you recognize trends. Take note of the following details about your headache:

• When they start

• What might trigger or relieve them

• How long they last

• Where they occur

• How they feel 

• Other symptoms that occur with them

A few simple measures you can take on your own may help relieve your headache. If you have no other concerning symptoms or complicating factors (see “emergencies” below), you can:

• Drink plenty of water

• Review your caffeine habits 

• Try an over-the-counter (OTC) medication

• Catch up on sleep

• Remove any environmental disturbances (like loud noises or harsh lights)

• Avoid alcohol

• Consider stress management techniques

• Evaluate your posture and use of electronic devices

• Consider getting your eyesight checked

When to see your doctor

It’s common to worry about a headache, especially if it’s constant, recurring, or severe. You might wonder when you should seek medical attention, rather than trying to treat it yourself. 

If you have tried the measures above, but you still can’t find relief, it might be time to see a medical professional. Consider discussing your headaches with your primary care provider if you:

• Recently started or stopped a new medication 

• Have a personal or family history of high blood pressure, migraine, diabetes, or another long-term medical condition

• Also have cold, flu, or allergy symptoms

• Experience a change or worsening in your headaches

• Have headaches that don’t respond to OTC medications

Be sure to share your headache diary (if you have one) with your provider. They may help you identify triggers, suggest additional lifestyle measures, and/or order testing to rule out serious causes. But sometimes reassurance is all someone needs. 

Headache emergencies

In rare cases, a severe headache could mean something else is going on. Serious causes of headache are rare — but possible — so it’s important to get these symptoms checked out.

Seek medical attention right away if you:

• Were recently injured

• Have weakness, vision changes, neck pain, or confusion 

• Have fever without a clear cause

• Have a headache that began suddenly or worsens with bending down, coughing, sneezing, or straining

• Have the worst headache of your life

• Have a history of cancer, HIV, AIDS, or glaucoma

• Take immunosuppressive medications

• Are pregnant or just had a baby

• Have new or long-lasting (more than 1 hour) aura symptoms

This isn’t a comprehensive list, so honor your own senses. If your headache or other symptoms feel “off” or out of the ordinary, there’s no harm in getting a professional medical opinion.

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