It is important to bear in mind that a headache may be a symptom of a more serious illness.
See your doctor if:
- You have more than the occasional headache
- Your headaches are severe or come on quickly
- Your headache is accompanied by any of the following (especially if you have not discussed these symptoms with your doctor before):
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Fever
- Numbness
- Persistent vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Slurred speech
- Stiff neck
- Unpredicted symptoms affecting your ears, nose, throat or eyes
- Unrelenting diarrhoea
- Vision loss
- Weakness
- You have a headache that persists, and continues to get worse or won’t stop
- Your headaches interfere with your normal activities of daily life
- You find yourself taking pain relievers more than two days a week
- You take over-the-counter medications for headache relief, but the recommended dosage is not adequate
- Coughing, sneezing, bending over, exercise or sexual activity cause headaches
- You have headaches that continue and that began after a head injury or other trauma
- The characteristics of your headaches change
- The symptoms of your migraine attacks change
Read more:
Reviewed by Dr Elliot Shevel, BDS, Dip MFOS, MB, BCh, Maxillo-facial and Oral Surgeon and Medical Director, The Headache Clinic, Johannesburg and Cape Town, February 2015.
Previously reviewed by Dr Andrew Rose-Innes, MD, Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven