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Which headache? At a glance Warning signs Brain tumour worries Relief Painkiller headaches Morning headaches Dizziness and vertigo Life stages Triggers and prevention When to see a doctor When to get in-person care Can an online doctor help? Health tools Conditions How Mobi Doctor works Frequently asked questions Sources
Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, for most. Of the 18 headache, migraine and dizziness conditions on Mobi Doctor, 9 are usually treated or managed by video, 6 partly, and 3 are assessed online.
- Most headaches: go away on their own and are not a sign of something more serious. Tension headaches are very common, and migraine affects about 10 million people in the UK alone.
- Painkillers: taking them too often can cause headaches on most days. Simple painkillers on 15 or more days a month, or triptans or combination painkillers on 10 or more, can do it.
- Get checked: headaches that feel different from your usual ones, or keep getting worse, need a doctor to look for the cause.
- Emergency: call 112 for a sudden, severe headache that reaches its worst within 5 minutes, a headache with a stiff neck, a high temperature or a rash that does not fade, new weakness, slurred speech or loss of vision, confusion or a seizure, or a headache after a head injury.
Call 112 or go to an emergency department for a sudden, severe headache that reaches its worst within 5 minutes; a headache with a very high temperature, a stiff neck, sensitivity to light or a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it; a headache, dizziness or vertigo with numbness or weakness, a drooping face, slurred speech, double vision or loss of vision; confusion, drowsiness or a seizure; a headache after a head injury; or a red, painful eye with blurred vision.
Which kind of headache do you have?
Choose what fits best. Each page covers the symptoms, what helps, what a doctor can do, and the signs that need urgent care.
- A tight band or pressure around the headTension headache
- Throbbing on one side, with feeling sickMigraine
- Zigzag lines or flashing lights firstMigraine with aura
- Pain or pressure behind the eyesHeadache behind the eyes
- Severe pain around one eye, in boutsCluster headaches
- Pressure in the cheeks and foreheadSinus headache
- Electric-shock pain in the faceTrigeminal neuralgia
- Shooting pain from the back of the headOccipital neuralgia
- Headaches around your periodHormone headaches
- A headache with a high temperatureFever and headache
- The room spinning when you moveVertigo
- Dizzy, light-headed or off-balanceDizziness
- A headache after a knock to the headConcussion
- A sudden, severe headacheThunderclap headache: call 112
- Not sure what kind of headache?The headache guide, type by type
A new headache at the temples after 50, with jaw pain when eating or a tender scalp, can be giant cell arteritis. Brief spins when you lie down, roll over or look up are usually BPPV, and attacks of vertigo in people who get migraines can be vestibular migraine.
Common headaches, migraines and dizziness at a glance
The table lists every headache, migraine and dizziness condition on Mobi Doctor: what each usually feels like and how much of its care works online. 9 of the 18 are usually treated or managed online. Cluster headaches, giant cell arteritis and thunderclap headaches are assessed online, and their treatment starts in person.
| Condition | What it usually feels like | Online care | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tension headache | A dull, pressing ache or a tight band on both sides of the head; you can usually carry on with your day | Treated online | Tension Headache |
| Migraine | A throbbing headache, often on one side and worse when you move, with feeling sick or sensitivity to light or noise; attacks usually last 4 hours to 3 days | Treated online | Migraine |
| Migraine with aura | Zigzag lines, flashing lights or other symptoms lasting 5 to 60 minutes, usually before the headache | Treated online | Migraine with Aura |
| Headaches of every type | Including medication overuse headache, from taking painkillers too often | Treated online | Headache |
| Headache behind the eyes | Pressure or pain behind one or both eyes, most often from a tension headache, migraine, eye strain or sinusitis | Treated online | Headache Behind the Eyes |
| Sinus headache | Pressure around the cheeks, forehead and eyes; most often migraine, sometimes sinusitis after a cold | Treated online | Sinus Headache |
| Hormone headache | Headaches and migraine attacks linked to periods, the pill, pregnancy or the menopause | Handled online | Hormone Headache |
| Fever and headache | A headache with a high temperature, usually from a cold, flu or another infection | Handled online | Fever and Headache |
| Dizziness | Feeling light-headed, faint or off-balance, or that things are spinning | Handled online | Dizziness |
| Vertigo | A false feeling that you, or everything around you, is spinning, most often from the inner ear | Partly online | Vertigo |
| BPPV | Brief spins, usually less than a minute, when you lie down, roll over or look up | Partly online | BPPV |
| Vestibular migraine | Attacks of vertigo or dizziness lasting 5 minutes to 72 hours, with or without a headache, in people with migraine | Partly online | Vestibular Migraine |
| Trigeminal neuralgia | Sudden, severe, electric-shock pain on one side of the face, lasting seconds to about 2 minutes | Partly online | Trigeminal Neuralgia |
| Occipital neuralgia | Sharp, shooting pain from the base of the skull up over the scalp, lasting seconds to minutes | Partly online | Occipital Neuralgia |
| Concussion | Headache, dizziness, tiredness or poor concentration after a blow to the head; usually better within 2 weeks | Partly online | Concussion |
| Cluster headaches | Severe pain around one eye for 15 to 180 minutes, with a red, watering eye, up to several times a day for weeks | Assessed online | Cluster Headaches |
| Giant cell arteritis | Over 50: a new headache, usually at the temples, a tender scalp, jaw pain when chewing, and vision problems | Assessed online | Giant Cell Arteritis |
| Thunderclap headache | A sudden, severe headache that reaches its worst within 5 minutes: call 112 | Assessed online | Thunderclap Headache |
What each online-care label means is explained under online care for headaches.
Which headaches are serious? The warning signs
Most headaches are not serious. A headache needs emergency care when it comes on suddenly and severely, reaching its worst within 5 minutes, or comes with a high temperature and a stiff neck or rash, new weakness, numbness, slurred speech or loss of vision, confusion or a seizure, or follows a head injury: call 112.
| Warning sign | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A sudden, severe headache that reaches its worst within 5 minutes (a thunderclap headache) | It can be bleeding around the brain (a subarachnoid haemorrhage), even if it starts to ease | Call 112 |
| A headache with a very high temperature, a stiff neck, sensitivity to light, or a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it | It can be meningitis or another serious infection; see fever and headache | Call 112 |
| A headache with new numbness or weakness, a drooping face, slurred speech or loss of vision | It can be a stroke | Call 112 |
| A headache with confusion, drowsiness, a change in personality or a seizure | The brain needs checking straight away | Call 112 |
| A headache after a head injury | It can be a serious brain injury; see concussion | Call 112 |
| A red, painful eye with blurred vision or coloured rings around lights | It can be acute glaucoma, which can damage sight | Call 112 |
| Over 50: a new headache with a tender scalp or jaw pain when eating, and blurred or double vision or loss of vision | It can be giant cell arteritis affecting the eyes | Call 112 |
| Over 50: a new headache with a tender scalp or jaw pain when eating | It can be giant cell arteritis | Get medical advice the same day |
| A headache brought on or made worse by coughing, sneezing, bending down or exercise | It can have a serious cause that needs tests | Get medical advice the same day |
| A headache that is worse when you lie down or stand up | It can have a serious cause that needs tests | Get medical advice the same day |
| A headache with vomiting | It needs a doctor to look for the cause | Get medical advice the same day |
| Headaches that feel different from your usual ones, or keep getting worse | A change in pattern needs checking | Book a consultation |
| After 20 weeks of pregnancy or soon after the birth: a severe headache with blurred vision, flashing lights or sudden swelling | It can be pre-eclampsia | Get urgent help from your maternity unit |
Do not drive yourself to an emergency department with these signs: ask someone to drive you, or call 112.
Could my headache be a brain tumour?
Very rarely. A headache on its own is very rarely due to cancer, and most people’s headaches are not caused by a brain tumour or another serious problem. See a doctor if a headache feels different from the headaches you usually get, or if your headaches are getting worse.
Brain tumours are uncommon. The symptoms that need checking, especially together with a new or changing headache, are:
- seizures (fits)
- feeling or being sick again and again, and drowsiness
- memory problems or changes in personality
- weakness or paralysis on one side of the body that gets worse
- problems with vision or speech
Having these symptoms does not mean you have a brain tumour, but they should be checked. The doctor decides from your history and an examination whether you need a scan. NICE advises doctors not to send people with tension headaches, migraine, cluster headaches or medication overuse headache for a brain scan only for reassurance.
How to get rid of a headache
Drink plenty of water, rest, try to relax and take paracetamol or ibuprofen. For a migraine, take a painkiller or migraine medicine as soon as the headache starts and lie down in a darkened room. Headaches can last 30 minutes, several hours or sometimes several days.
- Drink and eat Drink plenty of water and do not skip meals: not drinking enough and missing meals are common causes of headaches.
- Rest and relax Rest if you have a cold or flu, and try to relax, as stress can make headaches worse. Avoid alcohol, and do not sleep much more than usual.
- Take a simple painkiller Paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin, following the dose on the pack. Taking pain medicines on more than 3 days a week may lead to rebound headaches.
- Rest your eyes Do not strain your eyes for long periods, for example at a screen: eyesight problems are a common cause of headaches.
What helps each type of headache?
| Type | What helps | See a doctor if |
|---|---|---|
| Tension Headache | Paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin; rest, exercise, yoga or massage; heat or cold packs for a stiff neck | You need painkillers more than twice a week, or they do not help |
| Migraine | A painkiller taken as soon as the headache starts, or a triptan with an anti-inflammatory painkiller or paracetamol; lying down in a darkened room | Attacks are frequent or severe, or treatment does not work |
| Cluster Headaches | Oxygen and injections, which specialist services set up; ordinary painkillers work too slowly | You think you have them: the doctor arranges an urgent referral |
| Sinus Headache | Painkillers, a salt water rinse, sometimes a steroid nasal spray | It has not improved after 3 weeks, or an eye swells or your vision changes |
| Medication overuse headache | Stopping the overused painkillers for at least a month, with a plan | You take painkillers on most days |
| Hormone headache | Treatment timed around your period, and a review of hormonal contraception | Attacks follow your cycle, or start on the pill |
Which painkillers are not recommended?
Opioid painkillers, including codeine, are not recommended for tension headaches or migraine, and they can cause medication overuse headache. They are never prescribed through online consultations. For migraine, NICE recommends a triptan combined with an anti-inflammatory painkiller or paracetamol, and an anti-sickness medicine can help even without feeling sick.
Can painkillers cause headaches?
Yes. Taking painkillers too often can cause medication overuse headache: headaches on most days that painkillers no longer relieve. It can develop when paracetamol, aspirin or an anti-inflammatory painkiller is taken on 15 or more days a month, or a triptan, an opioid or a combination painkiller on 10 or more days a month, for 3 months or more.
Medication overuse headache may affect up to 5% of people in some populations, and more women than men. It is treated by stopping all the overused painkillers for at least a month, all at once rather than gradually. The headaches often get much worse for several weeks before they improve, so the doctor plans that time with you and reviews the headaches 4 to 8 weeks after you stop. Medication overuse headache is preventable, which is why the doctor asks how often you take painkillers.
The headache page explains how a doctor helps you stop the cycle, and the tension headache and migraine pages cover prevention.
Why do I wake up with a headache?
Common reasons are poor sleep, sleeping longer than usual, alcohol the night before, grinding your teeth at night and sleep apnoea, a breathing problem during sleep. Migraine and cluster headaches can also start while you are asleep. See a doctor if you wake with a headache 3 or more times a week.
- Sleep apnoea: more than half of people with sleep apnoea may have headaches, typically a pressing pain on both sides of the head on waking that goes within 4 hours.
- Teeth grinding: clenching and grinding the teeth during sleep tenses the face and head, and can leave a headache or migraine in the morning.
- Poor sleep or oversleeping: insomnia can cause tension headaches, and sleeping longer than you are used to can also bring on a headache.
- Alcohol: even one drink the night before can lead to a headache, partly because alcohol dehydrates the body.
- Painkillers: taking them too often can cause medication overuse headache, which can be there when you wake.
- Migraine and cluster headaches: both can come on during sleep.
What helps: go to bed and get up at similar times, limit alcohol in the evening, drink water when you wake, and keep a headache diary to spot a pattern. If a headache is worse when you lie down, get medical advice the same day.
Dizziness and vertigo
Dizziness can mean feeling light-headed, faint or off-balance, or vertigo: the feeling that you, or everything around you, is spinning. Common causes are inner ear problems, migraine, a drop in blood pressure when you stand up, dehydration, anxiety and side effects of medicines.
| What you feel | Common causes | Online care | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brief spins when you lie down, roll over or look up | BPPV: tiny crystals loose in the inner ear | Partly online | BPPV |
| Spinning or unsteadiness that lasts hours or days, sometimes after a cold or flu | An inner ear problem, such as labyrinthitis | Partly online | Vertigo |
| Attacks of vertigo, with or without a headache, if you get migraines | Vestibular migraine | Partly online | Vestibular Migraine |
| Light-headed or faint when you stand up, off-balance, or dizzy with anxiety or a new medicine | A drop in blood pressure, dehydration, anxiety or a side effect | Handled online | Dizziness |
| Dizziness after a knock to the head | Concussion | Partly online | Concussion |
While you are dizzy, lie down until it passes, then get up slowly, drink plenty of fluids and rest. Do not bend down or get up suddenly, and do not do anything that could be dangerous while you are dizzy. See a doctor if dizziness will not go away or keeps coming back.
Vertigo or dizziness with double vision, slurred speech, weakness or numbness, sudden hearing loss or being unable to walk is an emergency: call 112. Inner ear conditions such as labyrinthitis and Ménière’s disease are covered in ear problems.
Headaches through life: hormones, pregnancy and age
Migraine most often begins at puberty and is most common between the ages of 35 and 45. It affects more women than men, possibly because of hormones, and attacks can be linked to periods, the pill and the menopause. A new headache pattern after 50 needs a doctor’s assessment.
| Life stage | What to know | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Periods | Migraine attacks can come in the days around a period, and treatment can be timed around them. | Hormone Headache |
| The combined pill, patch or ring | Migraine with aura is a reason not to use combined hormonal contraception, because it adds to the risk of stroke. A first aura while using it needs a doctor promptly. | Migraine with Aura Combined pill |
| Pregnancy | Paracetamol is the first choice for headaches. After 20 weeks, a severe headache that does not go away with simple painkillers, especially with blurred vision, flashing lights or sudden swelling, can be pre-eclampsia and needs urgent help from your maternity unit. | Hormone Headache |
| Menopause | Hormone headaches can happen around the menopause as well as around periods. | Hormone Headache Menopause |
| After 50 | A new headache pattern needs a doctor. A new headache at the temples with a tender scalp or jaw pain when chewing can be giant cell arteritis, which needs urgent treatment to protect your sight. | Giant Cell Arteritis |
| Any age, after a fall or a knock | A head injury with a headache that will not go away, vomiting, drowsiness or confusion needs emergency care, and so does any head injury if you take blood thinners other than aspirin alone. | Concussion |
Headache triggers and prevention
Common triggers are stress and tiredness, poor sleep, missed meals, not drinking enough, alcohol, too much caffeine, eye strain and bad posture, and for some women their period. Regular sleep, meals and exercise, enough fluids, less alcohol and a headache diary help many people have fewer headaches.
- Keep a headache diary For at least 8 weeks, note how often headaches come, how long they last and how bad they are, what you took, possible triggers and any link with your periods.
- Regular sleep and meals Go to bed and get up at similar times, and eat regular meals: tiredness and skipped meals are common triggers.
- Exercise and relax Regular exercise, yoga and other ways to relax help prevent tension headaches, and too little exercise can trigger migraine.
- Cut down on caffeine and alcohol Too much caffeine can trigger migraine, and cutting back on tea, coffee and cola helps tension headaches; even one drink can bring on a headache.
When is prevention worth considering?
If headaches or migraine attacks are frequent, disabling, or need painkillers on many days, a preventive treatment taken every day can reduce how often they come. For migraine, the doctor may suggest propranolol, amitriptyline or topiramate, and for frequent tension headaches, amitriptyline. Topiramate must not be used in pregnancy and needs highly effective contraception. The migraine and tension headache pages explain the options.
When should I see a doctor about headaches?
Book a consultation if:
- you get headaches regularly, or they keep coming back
- you have tried treating a headache yourself and it is not getting better, or is getting worse
- painkillers do not help, or you need them more than twice a week
- your headaches feel different from your usual ones
- you think you might have migraine or cluster headaches
- headaches stop you working, sleeping or doing everyday things
- you wake with a headache 3 or more times a week
- dizzy spells or vertigo will not go away or keep coming back
- you want to know which headache medicines are safe with your other medicines, your contraception or in pregnancy
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- a sudden, severe headache that reaches its worst within 5 minutes (a thunderclap headache), even if it starts to ease
- a headache with a very high temperature, a stiff neck, sensitivity to light, or a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it
- a headache, dizziness or vertigo with new numbness or weakness, a drooping face, slurred speech, double vision or loss of vision, or trouble walking
- a headache with confusion, drowsiness or a seizure
- a headache after a head injury
- a red, painful eye with blurred vision
- over 50, a new headache with a tender scalp or jaw pain when eating, and blurred or double vision
- vertigo with sudden hearing loss, or dizziness with chest pain, a pounding heartbeat or fainting
Get medical advice the same day for:
- over 50, a new headache with a tender scalp or jaw pain when eating
- a headache brought on or made worse by coughing, sneezing, bending down or exercise
- a headache that is worse when you lie down or stand up
- a headache with vomiting
- a severe headache with blurred or double vision
- a first aura, or an aura lasting more than an hour
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
Can an online doctor treat headaches and migraines?
Yes, for most. Headaches are diagnosed mainly from what you describe: where the pain is, what it feels like, how long it lasts, how often it comes and what comes with it. Of the 18 headache, migraine and dizziness conditions covered on Mobi Doctor, 6 are usually treated online and 3 more are usually managed online, 50% in all; 6 are partly treated online, and 3, cluster headaches, giant cell arteritis and thunderclap headaches, are assessed online. The doctor tells you when you need an examination, a test or emergency care.
What the doctor can do online
The doctor listens, looks at any photos you share and decides with you what helps. If a medicine is the right answer, the doctor prescribes it. If you need an examination, a test or urgent care, the doctor tells you where to go.
- Warning signs checked first A sudden, severe headache, a stiff neck, new weakness, vision changes and the signs of giant cell arteritis are checked first, and you are sent to the right care if any is likely.
- The type of headache named Tension headache, migraine, cluster headache or medication overuse headache each need a different plan, and the doctor tells them apart from your story.
- Treatment that suits you Before suggesting any medicine, the doctor asks about pregnancy, contraception, your heart and blood pressure, your other medicines and how often you take painkillers.
- Fewer headaches Triggers, a headache diary, safe painkiller use and preventive treatment, so the next month has fewer bad days.
What still needs in-person care
- emergency care for a sudden, severe headache, a headache after a head injury, or a headache with neurological signs
- blood tests and an examination of the arteries for suspected giant cell arteritis, and steroids started straight away
- the positional test and the Epley manoeuvre for BPPV, and hearing and balance tests
- brain scans, when the doctor’s assessment shows that one is needed
- specialist treatment for cluster headaches, such as oxygen and injections, and nerve blocks or surgery for neuralgia
Controlled painkillers, such as codeine and other opioids, are never prescribed through online consultations.
What the online-care labels mean
| Label | What it means | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Treated online | Usually assessed and treated by video, with a prescription when one is needed | 6, including migraine, tension headache, migraine with aura and sinus headache |
| Handled online | Usually managed online with advice, self-care and treatment when it helps | 3: dizziness, fever and headache, and hormone headache |
| Partly online | Symptoms and treatment can be reviewed by video, but the diagnosis or treatment also needs tests, an examination or a specialist in person | 6, including vertigo, BPPV, concussion and trigeminal neuralgia |
| Assessed online | Assessed by video, and the doctor tells you where to go; treatment starts in person | 3: cluster headaches, giant cell arteritis and thunderclap headache |
Not sure what kind of headache you have? A doctor can help you work it out in one consultation.
See available times →Health tools for headaches
Free tools on Mobi Doctor:
- Symptom NavigatorPick a body area, including the head, or type a symptom to find the right page
- Climate Health IndexDaily heat, UV, pollen and air quality scores for European cities
- Medicine Shortage TrackerLive shortage reports for medicines across Europe, from official registers
All headaches, migraines and dizziness
Most of these can be assessed and treated online. Each page covers the symptoms, causes and treatment, and the signs that need in-person care.
Everyday headaches
Migraine
Severe and urgent headaches
Nerve pain in the head and face
Dizziness and vertigo
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about your headaches: say where the pain is, what it feels like, how long it lasts and how often it comes, what you have taken, and anything that comes with it, such as sickness, vision changes or dizziness.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Frequently asked questions about headaches and migraines
What are the main types of headache?
The most common are tension headaches and migraine. Others include cluster headaches, medication overuse headache from taking painkillers too often, sinus headaches, hormone headaches and headaches with a fever. A few, such as a thunderclap headache, can be a sign of a serious problem.
How do I tell which kind of headache I have?
A tension headache feels like a tight band on both sides of the head and lets you carry on. A migraine throbs, often on one side, with feeling sick or sensitivity to light. A cluster headache is severe pain around one eye with a red, watering eye. A headache diary helps a doctor tell them apart.
What is a red flag headache?
A headache with a warning sign of a serious cause: a sudden, severe start that peaks within 5 minutes, a high temperature with a stiff neck or rash, new weakness, numbness, slurred speech or loss of vision, confusion or a seizure, or a recent head injury. Call 112 for these.
Could my headache be a brain tumour?
Very rarely. A headache on its own is very rarely due to cancer. See a doctor if your headaches feel different from usual or keep getting worse, especially with seizures, repeated vomiting, drowsiness, personality changes, weakness, or vision or speech problems.
How do I get rid of a headache fast?
Drink water, rest, try to relax and take paracetamol or ibuprofen. For a migraine, take a painkiller or migraine medicine as soon as it starts and lie down in a darkened room. Avoid alcohol, and do not take painkillers on most days.
Why do I wake up with a headache?
Common reasons are poor sleep, oversleeping, alcohol the night before, grinding your teeth at night, sleep apnoea and taking painkillers too often. Migraine and cluster headaches can start during sleep. See a doctor if it happens 3 or more times a week.
Can painkillers cause headaches?
Yes. Simple painkillers on 15 or more days a month, or triptans, opioids or combination painkillers on 10 or more days a month, for 3 months or more can cause medication overuse headache. It is treated by stopping the overused painkillers for at least a month.
What is the difference between a migraine and a headache?
A migraine is a type of headache: usually a throbbing pain, often on one side and worse when you move, with feeling sick or sensitivity to light or noise, lasting 4 hours to 3 days. A tension headache is a milder, pressing ache on both sides that lets you carry on.
What causes headaches?
Common causes are colds and flu, stress, too much alcohol, bad posture, eyesight problems, missed meals, not drinking enough, taking too many painkillers, and periods or the menopause. Most headaches go away on their own and are not a sign of something more serious.
Can a headache cause dizziness?
Migraine can cause dizziness or vertigo, sometimes without a headache, which is called vestibular migraine. Dehydration and colds or flu can cause both. Dizziness with a sudden, severe headache, weakness, slurred speech or double vision is an emergency: call 112.
Do I need a brain scan for my headaches?
Usually not. Tension headaches, migraine, cluster headaches and medication overuse headache are diagnosed from your symptoms, and NICE advises against scans only for reassurance. A doctor arranges one when your symptoms or examination suggest another cause.
Can an online doctor treat headaches and migraines?
Yes, for most. Of the 18 headache, migraine and dizziness conditions covered on Mobi Doctor, 9 are usually treated or managed online. A doctor can assess your headaches by video, check the warning signs, prescribe treatment when it is needed, and tell you when you need tests, an examination or emergency care.
- Headaches, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 17 April 2024.
- Headaches in over 12s: diagnosis and management (CG150), NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2012, updated 2021.
- Could painkillers be causing your headaches?, NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 19 September 2012.
- Headache disorders, WHO, World Health Organization, fact sheet, 24 October 2025.
- Migraine, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 10 March 2026.
- Tension headaches, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 1 August 2025.
- Tension headache, MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, updated 27 October 2025.
- Tension headache: symptoms and causes, Mayo Clinic (US).
- Cluster headaches, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 18 August 2023.
- Brain tumours, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 12 June 2023.
- Subarachnoid haemorrhage, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 4 September 2025.
- Stroke: symptoms, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 12 September 2024.
- Glaucoma, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 13 June 2025.
- Temporal arteritis (giant cell arteritis), NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 14 August 2023.
- Head injury and concussion, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 29 May 2025.
- Head injury: assessment and early management (NG232), NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, May 2023.
- Pre-eclampsia, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 23 March 2026.
- Combined pill: who can take it, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 15 February 2024.
- Migraine and cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis, Schürks M, Rist PM, Bigal ME, Buring JE, Lipton RB, Kurth T. BMJ, 2009.
- Topiramate: referral (pregnancy prevention programme), EMA, European Medicines Agency, updated 23 November 2023.
- Dizziness, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 21 April 2023.
- Vertigo, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 2 May 2023.
- Waking up with a headache, Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials (US), 3 February 2023.
- Headache behind the eyes, WebMD (US), medically reviewed 30 May 2026.
- Meningitis: symptoms, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 12 June 2026.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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