How you can ease headaches yourself

Headaches can last 30 minutes, several hours, or sometimes several days.

Do

• Drink plenty of water
• Get plenty of rest if you also have a cold or the flu
• Try to relax – stress can make headaches worse
• Take paracetamol or ibuprofen
• Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you also have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to do your normal activities

Don’t

• Do not drink alcohol
• Do not skip meals (even if you might not feel like eating anything)
• Do not sleep more than you usually would – it can make the headache worse
• Do not strain your eyes for a long time – for example, by looking at a screen

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

• Your headache keeps coming back
• Painkillers do not help and your headache gets worse
• You have a bad throbbing pain at the front or side of your head – it could be a migraine or, more rarely, a cluster headache
• You feel sick, vomit, and find light or noise painful
• You regularly get headaches before or during your period

Adapted from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/headaches/