Headache That Won’t Go Away For Days

The Ache Is Behind Or Around Your Eye

“If you have a headache with eye pain, and especially if you have a change in your vision, that’s an emergency,” Morocco says. The big concern here is acute glaucoma, or a buildup of pressure in your eye that cuts off its blood flow and can result in blindness. “What we see a lot is a person goes to a movie, and when the lights go down and the pupil dilates, that change in pressure leads to the headache and the other symptoms,” he says.

When Should I Be Worried About A Headache

Most headaches don’t have a serious underlying cause. However, healthcare professionals are trained to ask you about the signs and symptoms that might suggest your headache needs further investigation, just to make sure it’s nothing serious.

The things which would suggest to your doctor and nurse that your headache might need further investigation include the following. They do not mean that your headache is serious or sinister, but they mean that the doctor or nurse might wish to do some further checks to be sure:

• You have had a significant head injury in the previous three months.
• Your headaches are worsening and accompanied by high temperature .
• Your headaches start extremely suddenly.
• You have developed problems with speech and balance as well as headache.
• You have developed problems with your memory or changes in your behaviour or personality as well as headache.
• You are confused or muddled with your headache.
• Your headache started when you coughed, sneezed or strained.
• Your headache is worse when you sit or stand.
• Your headache is associated with red or painful eyes.
• Your headaches are not like anything you have ever experienced before.
• You have unexplained vomiting with the headache.
• You have low immunity – for example, if you have HIV, or are on oral steroid medication or immune suppressing drugs.
• You have or have had a type of cancer that can spread through the body.

What Can I Do To Prevent Migraines

One of the best ways to prevent migraines is to recognize what triggers an attack and trying to avoid them. For example, stress, eating certain foods or lack of sleep may bring on an attack.

Avoiding your triggers can be difficult when youre pregnant. For example, if you have morning sickness you may not feel like eating or drinking much. This can cause low blood sugar or dehydration, so its important to try and find ways to cope.

Getting enough sleep may also be difficult during pregnancy. Try our tips for a better nights sleep.

You should also try to

• rest and relax as much as possible. You could try things like mindfulness or yoga.

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What Triggers Headaches And Migraines

Common triggers of tension headaches or migraines include:

• Alcohol use.

• Stomach upset or abdominal pain.

Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches are the most severe type of primary headache. Cluster headaches come in a group or cluster, usually in the spring or fall. They occur one to eight times per day during a cluster period, which may last two weeks to three months. The headaches may disappear completely for months or years, only to recur later. The pain of a cluster headache is:

• Intense with a burning or stabbing sensation.
• Located behind one of your eyes or in the eye region, without changing sides.
• Throbbing or constant.

New daily persistent headaches

New daily persistent headaches come on suddenly and last for more than three months. They typically occur in people who werent having frequent headaches before. The pain of NDPH is:

• Constant and persistent without easing up.
• Located on both sides of the head.
• Not responsive to medications.

Sinus headaches

Sinus headaches are the result of a sinus infection, which causes congestion and inflammation in the sinuses . People, and even healthcare providers, often mistake migraines for sinus headaches. Symptoms of sinus headaches include:

• Bad taste in mouth.
• Pain that gets worse with sudden head movement or straining.
• Mucus discharge .

Medication overuse headaches

• Headaches becoming more frequent.
• More days with headaches than without.
• Pain thats worse in the morning.

Headaches in children

Signs Your Headache Isn’t Normal

Like nearly all conditions that revolve around pain, headaches can be tricky to categorize. A headache one person would call “terrible” might feel mild to someone else.

But speaking generally, you need to see your primary care physician if your headache status changes, says , MD, a clinical professor and ER doc at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. That means if you never had headaches, but now you seem to have them all the time, your doctor should know about that change, Morocco says. Or if the intensity of your regular migraines has suddenly ratcheted up, that’s also something worthy of your doctor’s attention.

These 3 natural cures could help eliminate your headache:

Even in those situations, chances are good your headaches are not of the life-threatening variety. “People are always worried about brain tumors,” Morocco says. But headaches are actually not among the symptoms experts usually associate with a tumor .

On the other hand, there are some warning signs that your headache is a true medical emergency. Here’s what to watch out for:

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How Does A Tension

People experience tension headache symptoms differently. Some people describe tension headache pain as feeling like someone is squeezing both sides of their head together or a band around their head.

You may have pain thats:

• Constant .
• Mild or moderate .
• On both sides of the head.
• Better after you take over-the-counter pain relievers.

Headaches With Fever And Stiff Neck

If your headache also includes having a fever and stiff neck, these are signs that you might have meningitis. Meningitis is a condition in which inflammation occurs in the spinal cord membranes and brain. You may also experience other symptoms including muscle pain, rash, vomiting, and drowsiness. Meningitis can progress quickly and become life-threatening. If you experience these symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.

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You Have A ‘thunderclap’ Headache

If a severe headache comes on suddenly”Like someone flipping a light switch, or hitting you with a hammer,” Morocco saysthat’s something to take seriously. It could be a “subarachnoid hemorrhage” , or bleeding within your brain caused by a leaking aneurysm . “That’s a dangerous headache, and you need to call 9-1-1 or have someone take you to the hospital,” Morocco says. To be clear, this isn’t a sharp pain that recedes in a matter of seconds or minutes. “It won’t go away quickly,” he adds. “But you don’t want to make the mistake of taking heavy pain pills and going to sleep.”

Your Headache Is Worse When You Lie Flat

A headache that feels different from others youve had in the past is worth checking out, especially if it changes when you move positions. One of the things that causes headaches is a buildup of pressure, Dr. Schaff says. So if you have a brain tumor and youre lying flat all night, the pressure is going to be higher than it would be when youre sitting upright. However, she says, 99% of the time, a headache in the morning has another cause, like sleep apnea. Dr. Schaff says to look out for a headache that wakes you up headaches that build over the course of the day are usually less serious.

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How Long Does A Tension

That depends. A tension-type headache may last for 30 minutes or months. In general, episodic tension headache symptoms tend to come on slowly and end sooner. They often happen in the middle of the day. Episodic headaches usually dont last longer than a week.

People with chronic tension-type headaches can have symptoms that last for months at a time. Pain may stay at the same level of discomfort for days. While uncommon, these headaches can take a toll on your quality of life.

How Can Indigo Help My Chronic Headaches

If you have chronic headaches, you dont need to live with the pain. And you dont need to wait for relief. Refreshingly friendly, convenient Indigo Online Care is as close as your phone or favorite device.

With our quick and easy online scheduling and check-in, you can chat directly with one of our Indigo primary care providers when and where it works best for you. Video visits are available 8 am to 8 pm, every day.During your appointment, a provider will evaluate your symptoms to understand what type of headaches you are having and what may be triggering them. Together, youll create a treatment plan focused on pain management and prevention thats most effective for you. They will also prescribe medication, if needed, and schedule a follow-up appointment to see how youre doing.

And if you need a higher level of care to get to the root of your chronic headaches, an Indigo provider will coordinate a referral to a headache specialist.

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Why Do I Have A Headache That Wont Go Away

First things first: If your headache wont go away, you need to figure out if its a sinus headache that wont go away or something else. Sinus headaches are caused by a buildup of pressure in sinus cavities that have become inflamed and are blocking regular mucus drainage.

Sinus headaches are often accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Congestion
• Feeling of pressure and/or throbbing around your sinuses
• Increased pain upon bending over
• Toothache in your upper teeth

Many of these symptoms, including congestion and increased pain upon bending over, can also be found in patients struggling with migraines. However, migraines are unlikely to last more than a few hours, whereas untreated sinus headaches can last for days at a time.

For more information about what might be behind your latest sinus headache, reference these additional posts:

• Can a toothache cause a sinus headache?

What Do I Do If I Have A Migraine In Pregnancy

If youve never had a migraine call your midwife, doctor or hospital maternity unit. Serious conditions like pre-eclampsia can be like a migraine, so although its unlikely anything is wrong, your healthcare team may want to see you.

If you have always had migraines, you may find that they get better during your pregnancy. But pregnancy can also change the nature of migraines, so if you have a migraine that feels different to what youve had before, call your midwife, doctor or hospital maternity unit.

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What Are Some Triggers That May Bring On Tension

You may be more likely to have tension headaches if you have:

• Eye strain, such as from staring at a computer screen for a long time.
• Pain in other parts of your head and neck caused by problems such as temporomandibular disorders.
• Problems sleeping, such as insomnia.
• Stress related to family, work or life challenges, such as starting or losing a job or juggling too many commitments.

How To Treat A Headache That Wont Go Away

We went over a variety of different headache types to give you an idea of where you may be with your headache that wont go away. What do you do now? The answer is: make changes in your life. There are varying reasons why you have a headache and some may be difficult to explain.

If you have a headache that wont go away, the next thing we would recommend would be to try the LRA test.

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How Common Are Headaches In Adults

If your head is throbbing, youre not alone. Headache is one of the most common pain conditions in the world. Up to 75% of adults worldwide have had a headache in the past year.

Headaches are a major cause of absenteeism from work and school. They also take a toll on social and family life. For some people, continually battling headaches can lead to feeling anxious and depressed.

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Headache Won’t Go Away

People get headaches every day and they can be very uncomfortable. The most common headache type is tension headache and it usually lasts for about 4 hours. For some people, however, the headache hangs on for days at a time. These long-lasting headaches can lead you to become very anxious. When you have these kinds of headaches, it is important to know what to do when your headache persists for s very long time.

Your Head Is Throbbing

Many people will describe a headache as “throbbing” when they really just mean it hurts. But true “throbbing headaches” actually include a pulsing, beating sensation, which researchers have noticed are disproportionately associated with COVID-19.

According to the researchers, COVID headaches “showed different characteristics like pulsating, pressing, and even stabbing quality.” Milder headaches were less frequently associated with the virus. And for more on spotting signs of coronavirus, check out If You Have These 2 Subtle Symptoms, There’s a Good Chance You Have COVID.

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When A Headache Might Be Something Serious

In the vast majority of cases, a headache isn’t a sign of a serious problem. But, rarely, it can be a symptom of a condition such as a stroke, meningitis, or a brain tumour.

A headache is more likely to be serious if:

• it occurs suddenly and is very severe often described as a blinding pain unlike anything experienced before
• it doesn’t go away and gets worse over time
• it’s triggered suddenly by coughing, laughing, sneezing, changes in posture, or physical exertion
• the headache is consistently worse in the morning, or present when you wake up
• you have symptoms suggesting a problem with your brain or nervous system, including weakness, slurred speech, confusion, memory loss, and drowsiness
• you have additional symptoms, such as a high temperature , a stiff neck, a rash, jaw pain while chewing, vision problems, a sore scalp, or severe pain and redness in one of your eyes

If you’re concerned that your headache might be serious, you should seek immediate medical advice. Contact your GP or GP out of hours service as soon as possible, or go to your nearest emergency department.

Living With Constant Headaches

For most of us, an occasional headache is nothing more than a temporary speed bump in the course of a busy day. Even so, most men can ease the problem with simple lifestyle measures and nonprescription medications. Relaxation techniques, biofeedback, yoga, and acupuncture may also help. But for some of us, headaches are a big problem. Learn to recognize warning signs that call for prompt medical care. Work with your doctor to develop a program to prevent and treat migraines and other serious headaches. And don’t fall into the trap of overusing medications for some gents, rebound headaches are the biggest pain of all.

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How Many Types Of Headaches Exist

Itâs hard to say how many types of headaches there are because theyâre often symptoms of other conditions. In that vein, we can divide types of headaches into two categories: primary and secondary.

Primary headaches

Primary headaches are not caused by other underlying conditions or illnesses, according to Mayo Clinic, but by overactivity or chemical changes in the brain, nerves, blood vessels, or muscles in or around your head. Secondary headaches, on the other hand, result from other issues, like viral or bacterial infections, injuries or traumas, and dehydration, to name a few.

In other words, secondary headaches are a side effect of another condition, while primary headaches are the condition.

Migraine attacks are considered primary headaches, along with the following headaches listed in IDHC-3, the International Headache Societyâs officially recognized list of headaches:

Tension headaches

Tension headaches typically come on slowly and involve mild or moderate pain that feels like a vice or band wrapping around your head. Unlike a migraine attack, tension headaches usually hurt on both sides of your head and donât bring along telltale migraine symptoms like nausea, sensitivity to light, aura, or the prodrome stage.

Tension headaches can be caused by a variety of triggers, according to Medline Plus, such as:

Cluster headaches

Besides these two common kinds of non-migraine headaches, the ICHD-3 lists several other types of primary headaches:

Cough headaches