HealthInfo Canterbury
Headaches & migraines in adults
Ngā ānini upoko ki ngā pakeke
Headaches are very common in people of all ages.
A headache may be in one small area or spread around your whole head. People describe headaches in various ways. A headache can be throbbing, sharp, dull or piercing.
You may get headaches during a stressful time in life, they may be related to poor sleep or be due to a viral illness. Some headaches come from tooth, jaw, sinus, neck or eyesight issues.
Most headaches don't have a serious cause and will go away over time, though occasionally, they can be part of a more serious illness.
Migraines are a distinctive type of headache. Migraines can feel more severe than headaches. Often people with migraines are sensitive to light and they may feel nauseated or vomit. Some people have an aura, which is a sensation that occurs before the headache symptom. An aura may occur as a series of flashing lights or zigzags over your vision, blurring or even loss of vision. Migraines can last several days and if bad, can be very disabling.
Important
You should get a headache checked straight away if you have any of the following:
- a really severe headache that comes on suddenly
- feeling sick (nausea), a stiff neck, rash, fever, shakes or sensitivity to light
- confusion, weakness on one side of your body or trouble with speech
- a headache following a head injury
- a headache that starts suddenly from coughing, sneezing or straining
- changes in your vision.
You should also seek non-urgent medical help if you have headaches often, have new headaches (especially if you're over 50), if simple pain tablets aren't working or if you're concerned about your headaches.
Diagnosing headaches & migraines
Your general practice team can diagnose most headaches and migraines by examining you and asking you about your symptoms. Most headaches don't need a brain scan unless there are unusual features.
Your general practice team will talk to you about possible causes for your headaches. They may ask you to keep a log of your headaches. Record the type, duration, frequency and if you needed pain relief.
Treating headaches & migraines
Common medications for occasional headaches are paracetamol and anti-inflammatories. But if you use these more than three or four times a week for a few weeks, they can cause a type of headache called a medication over-use headache.
A group of medications called triptans may be used to treat migraines. These can stop a migraine if you take them very early, when the aura starts.
If your headaches or migraines are happening very often, your general practice team might talk to you about going onto a daily preventative medication. It can sometimes take a while to find a medication that works for you.
Your general practice team might suggest you see a physiotherapist. The physiotherapist will check if neck, muscle, jaw or breathing problems are causing your headaches.
Preventing headaches & migraines
Often, there's no clear cause for a headache, so it can be hard to prevent them. Headaches can be caused or made worse by a several triggers so the following things may be helpful:
- keeping active
- eating well
- drinking enough fluids
- having regular dental and eye checks
- reducing stress
- taking regular screen breaks.
HealthInfo recommends the following videos
- The Migraine and Headache Center – What causes headaches?
Information about different types of headache and things that can cause headaches.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Healthify He Puna Wairoa
- Headache
Information about coping with headaches and preventative measures.
- Tension headache
Information about coping with tension headaches and preventative measures.
- Migraine topics
Information about migraines and how to manage them.
- Headache
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed October 2022.
Sources
See also:
Review key: HIHMA-19071
