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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, usually. Headaches are diagnosed from the history by video and treated with acute and preventive medicines where appropriate; opioid and codeine painkillers are never prescribed online, and a headache with warning signs is a 112 call.
- What it is: pain in the head from pain-sensitive structures around the brain, not the brain itself; tension-type headache affects about 4 in 10 adults in any year and migraine about 1 in 7.
- The three patterns: tension-type presses on both sides and lets you carry on; migraine throbs, brings nausea and stops your day; medication-overuse headache is near-daily and comes from painkillers on more than 10 to 15 days a month.
- How long: a tension-type headache lasts 30 minutes to a few days; a migraine attack 4 hours to 3 days; a headache that is new and daily for more than 2 weeks, or steadily worsening, needs assessment.
- Thunderclap: a sudden, worst-ever headache reaching maximum intensity within about a minute is a 112 emergency, whatever happens next.
- Emergency: call 112 for a thunderclap headache, a headache with fever and a stiff neck or rash, after a head injury, or with weakness, slurred speech, vision loss, confusion or a seizure.
Do not book a video appointment for: a thunderclap headache (sudden, worst-ever pain reaching maximum within about a minute); headache with fever, a stiff neck or a new rash; headache after a head injury; or headache with weakness, slurred speech, vision loss, confusion or seizure. These need emergency assessment. Call 112.
Can an online doctor treat headaches?
Yes. On Mobi Doctor, a licensed doctor can diagnose and treat most headaches by video, because headache diagnosis rests on your history rather than on machines.[1] The doctor identifies the type, whether tension, migraine or medication-overuse, prescribes where clinically appropriate, and refers in person when red flags appear.
This is worth stating clearly because many people assume headaches need a scan first. Usually the opposite is true: the story comes first, imaging only when the story earns it. That makes headache one of the conditions where a well-run video consultation delivers close to the full value of a clinic visit.
Listen: Headaches Treatment Online
The audio version of this topic from the Mobi Doctor podcast. Open the episode.
How an online consultation helps with headaches
- Diagnosis by pattern: tension-type, migraine and medication-overuse headache are told apart by their story, where it hurts, how it behaves, what it responds to. Taking that story carefully is precisely what a video appointment is for.[1]
- A painkiller audit: how many days a month you take painkillers is sometimes the diagnosis itself, because frequent use can cause the very headache it is treating. The doctor reviews this without judgement and builds an exit plan.
- A treatment ladder, not a single pill: from lifestyle changes and simple analgesia used sparingly, up to type-specific treatment and daily preventives where the frequency justifies them.
- Honest escalation: if your pattern carries red flags or does not fit a benign type, the doctor says so and refers you for in-person examination, imaging or neurology. Video care is a front door, not a dead end.
What the doctor checks in an online headache consultation
Headache diagnosis is a structured interview, not a scan. In a headache consultation the doctor will typically check:
- When the headaches started and whether they are changing.[1]
- How often they come and how long each one lasts.
- Where the pain sits and what it feels like: a pressing band on both sides, a one-sided throb, or pain around one eye.
- What you take for them, and, crucially, on how many days per month.
- Associated symptoms: nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, warning aura, or a watering, red eye.
- Lifestyle drivers: sleep, caffeine, alcohol, screens, skipped meals and stress.
- The menstrual pattern where relevant.
- A deliberate red-flag screen. One honest limit: a hands-on neurological examination is not possible on video, so where examination or a scan is genuinely needed, for example a new headache after 50 or a steadily worsening pattern, the doctor arranges in-person care rather than guessing.
Keep a two-week headache diary
Before your appointment if you can, note each headache: date and time, how bad out of ten, how long, what you took, and anything around it, such as sleep, stress, alcohol, skipped meals or cycle day. Two weeks of notes turns a vague complaint into a readable pattern, and often shows a trigger or a painkiller habit nobody had spotted. After the consultation the diary keeps working: it is how you and the doctor judge at follow-up whether a preventive is earning its keep.
Which type of headache do I have?
Most recurring headaches are one of three types: tension-type (a pressing band on both sides that lets you carry on), migraine (throbbing, often one-sided attacks with nausea or light sensitivity that stop your day) and medication-overuse headache (a dull daily headache maintained by frequent painkillers). Headache disorders are among the most common conditions of the nervous system, and the pattern identifies the type.[2]
Headache types at a glance
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Type | What it feels like | Typical pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Tension-type | Pressing, tight band on both sides; mild to moderate | Builds with stress, screens or poor sleep; you can usually keep going |
| Migraine | Throbbing, often one-sided; nausea, light and sound sensitivity | Attacks lasting hours to about three days that stop your day; sometimes preceded by aura |
| Medication-overuse | Dull, background headache, present most days | Grows out of taking acute painkillers on roughly 10–15 or more days a month |
| Cluster | Excruciating pain around one eye, with watering or redness | Rare; brief attacks recurring daily in clusters lasting weeks |
Tension-type headache
The most common headache: a pressing, tight-band feeling on both sides, mild to moderate, without vomiting, and you can usually keep going with your day. Stress, poor sleep, long screen stretches and neck tension all feed it. Annoying and recurrent, but not dangerous.
Migraine
A different animal: attacks typically last hours to a few days, are often one-sided and throbbing, get worse with movement, and come with nausea or sensitivity to light and sound.[3] Some people get warning symptoms (aura) first, and in some women attacks track the menstrual cycle, see hormone headaches. If this description fits you, the dedicated migraine page covers acute and preventive treatment in depth.
Medication-overuse headache
The cruellest loop in headache medicine: taking acute painkillers on more than about 10 to 15 days a month (the threshold depends on the medicine) can itself cause a dull, daily background headache, which invites more painkillers.[1] Suspect it if you have headaches on more days than not and reach for tablets most days. It is treatable, but the treatment is a planned withdrawal, not a stronger pill.
Is my headache suitable for online care?
Most recurring headaches are safe to diagnose and treat online; a few patterns need in-person care. The table below shows how doctors sort headaches into a treatment ladder and referral.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Headache presentation | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When referral or in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tension-type headache | Lifestyle measures and simple painkillers used sparingly | Usually yes | If frequency rises and a preventive is needed but not tolerated |
| Migraine (diagnosed by pattern) | Acute treatment (including triptans) and preventives when frequent[1] | Usually yes | Atypical features, changing aura, or poor response needing neurology |
| Medication-overuse headache | A structured painkiller-withdrawal plan with support | Yes | If withdrawal is difficult or the picture is unclear |
| New headache after 50, or a pattern clearly worsening over weeks | In-person assessment, sometimes imaging | Initial assessment yes | Prompt in-person examination and referral[1] |
| Thunderclap headache, or headache with fever and stiff neck, weakness, vision loss or after head injury | Emergency care | No | Call 112 immediately |
Not sure which type you have? A doctor can tell you in one consultation.
See available times →When should I see a doctor about headaches?
See a doctor about headaches when they come on two or more days a week, when you need painkillers more than two to three days a week, when the pattern is changing or waking you from sleep, or when headaches interfere with work. Any new headache after 50 should be assessed promptly.
None of those thresholds means something sinister; they mean the do-it-yourself phase has run its course. Frequency that high has a name and a treatment plan in almost every case, and the earlier the painkiller pattern is reviewed, the easier medication-overuse headache is to avoid or unwind.
When a headache is something else
Sinus pressure, colds and flu
A heavy face and forehead during a cold is sinus congestion behaving normally, and it settles as the cold does. True sinusitis headaches come with a blocked nose, thick discharge and face pain that worsens on bending forwards. What sinus trouble does not explain is months of recurring headaches; most "sinus headaches" that keep returning turn out on proper history to be migraine.
Eyes, screens and the neck
Uncorrected vision strains its way into end-of-day head pain, and an eye test is a cheap, underused headache investigation. Long fixed postures at screens feed tension-type headache through the neck and shoulders; so can an awkward pillow or a whiplash-style injury. The tell is timing: pain that builds with the working day and eases away from the desk.
Why do I wake up with a headache?
Waking with a headache most often traces to something in the night: snoring or sleep apnoea, alcohol the evening before, caffeine withdrawal after heavy daytime use, teeth grinding, or medication-overuse headache surfacing as painkillers wear off overnight. Frequent morning headaches deserve review, especially with loud snoring or witnessed pauses in breathing.
Sleep apnoea is the one not to miss: morning headaches plus heavy snoring, daytime sleepiness and pauses in breathing that a partner notices form a pattern worth naming to the doctor, because treating the sleep disorder treats the headache. And despite the popular belief, ordinary high blood pressure rarely causes headaches; only extreme readings do, which is one more reason the history matters more than the guess.
Special situations
Headaches in pregnancy
Headaches are common in early pregnancy and usually benign. Paracetamol at the lowest effective dose is the usual first choice; anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen are avoided, especially in the third trimester. The exception that matters: a new, severe or unusual headache in the second half of pregnancy, particularly with visual disturbance, sudden swelling of the face or hands, or upper-abdominal pain, needs urgent in-person assessment for pre-eclampsia, not a video appointment.
New headaches after 50
A first-ever headache pattern starting after 50 is assessed differently, in person. One specific pattern needs same-day care: scalp tenderness (brushing hair hurts), aching in the jaw when chewing, and any visual disturbance, with or without feeling generally unwell. That combination suggests inflamed blood vessels (giant cell arteritis), which is treatable, but sight is at risk if it waits.
Travellers and irregular weeks
Travel stacks headache triggers: broken sleep, dehydration on flights, alcohol at altitude, missed meals and a caffeine schedule in pieces. If you know your pattern, pack accordingly, with your usual acute treatment, water and regular meals. A video consultation works across Europe if a headache pattern misbehaves mid-trip, and the doctor can judge whether it is your usual type or something that needs local care.
Treatment options for headaches
What you can do yourself
Boring but effective: regular sleep and wake times, meals not skipped, steady hydration, screen breaks and attention to posture if your headaches are tension-type, and caffeine kept constant rather than escalating. Paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin work best taken early in a headache, and on no more than two to three days a week.[5] That cap is not stinginess; it is what protects you from medication-overuse headache.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. The assessment decides the treatment, and prescribing follows the type. Migraine has specific acute medicines (triptans) and daily preventives once attacks are frequent, assessed and, when the doctor judges them the right treatment, prescribed by video, with the details on the migraine page.[4] Frequent tension-type headache can respond to a low-dose daily preventive such as amitriptyline, which the doctor will discuss honestly, including side effects. Medication-overuse headache is treated with a structured withdrawal plan and support through the rough first weeks. One thing is deliberately not on the menu: opioid and codeine-containing painkillers, which are a poor fit for headache and a fast route to overuse, are not prescribed through Mobi Doctor.
Reducing how often headaches come back
Prevention is mostly rhythm: consistent sleep, meals and caffeine flatten the trigger landscape, and regular aerobic exercise has a genuine track record for both tension-type headache and migraine. Use the diary to find your personal pattern rather than following generic trigger lists, and when attacks stay frequent despite good habits, that is the signal to discuss a daily preventive rather than to endure.
When headaches are treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: tension-type headache; migraine, both acute treatment and prevention; medication-overuse headache with a structured withdrawal plan; and the lifestyle and trigger review that reduces how often headaches come back.
In-person care: any red-flag pattern (a thunderclap headache, headache with fever and a stiff neck, headache after a head injury, or headache with weakness, speech trouble, vision loss, confusion or seizure), which is an emergency; a first new headache after 50, or a steadily worsening pattern, which needs in-person examination and sometimes imaging;[1] the giant cell arteritis pattern of scalp tenderness, jaw ache on chewing and visual disturbance, which needs same-day care; suspected sleep apnoea for a sleep study; and pre-eclampsia features in later pregnancy, which are an emergency. In those cases the consultation gets you to the right examination quickly, not a prescription in its place.
When to get in-person care
Treat as an emergency: a thunderclap headache (sudden, worst-ever, maximal within about a minute); headache with fever plus a stiff neck, rash or intolerance of light; headache following a head injury, especially with vomiting, drowsiness or blood-thinning medication; headache with one-sided weakness, facial droop, slurred speech, vision loss, confusion or seizure; or a sudden severe headache in late pregnancy with visual disturbance or swelling. In any of these situations, call 112 immediately.
Treating headaches at home: what helps and what does not
Most tension-type headaches respond to home care: water, food, a screen break, fresh air, sleep, and simple pain relief used occasionally. Regular sleep and meals prevent more headaches than any tablet.
What home care cannot do: it cannot fix the headache caused by its own treatment. Using painkillers on more days than not, week after week, produces medication-overuse headache, a daily headache that only stops when the pattern is broken with a doctor’s help. Headaches that are changing character, waking you from sleep, or arriving with other symptoms need assessment, and a sudden worst-ever headache is 112, not a dark room.
The strongest at-home treatment is still a doctor. A video consultation brings one to your sofa: you can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. The doctor gives an honest assessment, and a prescription to a local pharmacy when treatment is right. Book a video consultation: the exact price is shown before you pay.
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: open daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, exact price up front.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about headaches: a private video call: you describe what you feel, the doctor asks what matters, and you agree the right plan together.
- Leave with your plan: everything agreed before you hang up: your plan, and a prescription to use at a pharmacy near you where medication is clinically right for you. If your doctor decides you need to be seen in person, you get a full refund.
No sign-up needed
A headache can have more than one cause. Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Migraine can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about headaches
What causes headaches?
Most headaches are primary, meaning the headache is the condition itself: tension-type headache from tight scalp and neck muscles and stress, migraine from an over-sensitive brain pain network, and cluster headache. Secondary headaches come from something else: painkiller overuse, caffeine withdrawal, dehydration, poor sleep, eye strain, sinusitis, high blood pressure, head injury, and rarely infection, bleeding or a tumour, which the warning signs pick out.
What are the different types of headache?
The common types of headache are tension-type (a tight band on both sides, mild to moderate, you can carry on), migraine (one-sided, throbbing, with nausea or light sensitivity, lasting hours to days), medication-overuse headache (near-daily, from painkillers taken too often), cluster headache (excruciating, around one eye, in bouts) and headaches secondary to sinusitis, caffeine withdrawal, poor sleep or high blood pressure. Each has a recognisable pattern.
What is the difference between a tension headache and a migraine?
Tension-type headache presses on both sides like a tight band, stays mild to moderate, and lets you carry on. Migraine is usually one-sided and throbbing, worsens with movement, brings nausea or sensitivity to light and sound, and tends to stop your day for 4 hours to 3 days. The distinction matters because migraine has specific treatments that tension headache does not need.
Why do I have a headache every day?
The two most common explanations for a daily headache are chronic tension-type headache and medication-overuse headache, and they often coexist. The key question is how many days a month you take painkillers; if the answer is most days, the tablets may be maintaining the headache. Poor sleep, caffeine, stress, neck strain and untreated migraine are the other usual drivers, and a new daily headache for more than two weeks needs assessment.
When should I worry about a headache?
Seek emergency help for a sudden worst-ever headache, a headache with fever and a stiff neck or rash, a headache after a head injury, or a headache with weakness, speech trouble, vision loss, confusion or a seizure. Book a prompt review for a first new headache after 50, a headache that is steadily worsening, one that wakes you or is worse on coughing or bending, or a change in a long-standing pattern.
How do I get rid of a headache fast?
For an ordinary headache, drink a large glass of water, take paracetamol or ibuprofen early at the label dose, rest in a quiet dim room, apply a cool pack to the forehead or heat to the neck, and eat if you have missed a meal. For migraine, treating at the first sign works far better than waiting. Repeating this on most days leads to medication-overuse headache, so frequent headaches need a plan, not more tablets.
Can an online doctor prescribe headache medication in Europe?
Yes, an online doctor can prescribe headache medication in Europe, including migraine-specific acute treatments and daily preventives, where clinically appropriate after a proper assessment, with the prescription sent to a local pharmacy. Opioid and codeine-containing painkillers are not prescribed online, and are poor headache treatments in any case.
Will I need a brain scan for my headaches?
Usually not. Most headaches are diagnosed from the history, and scans are reserved for red flags or patterns that do not fit a benign type: thunderclap onset, new neurological signs, a first headache after 50, a headache worse on waking or with coughing, or a clearly changing pattern. If yours is a case where imaging genuinely matters, the doctor will say so directly and arrange it.
Does caffeine help headaches or cause them?
Both, depending on the pattern. A steady, moderate intake is fine and can even ease the occasional headache, but escalating use sets up overnight withdrawal, a classic cause of waking with head pain, and heavy daily use feeds the chronic-headache cycle. Keeping caffeine steady, modest and before early afternoon is the practical rule for headache-prone people.
How long does a headache last?
A tension-type headache lasts from half an hour to a few days and responds to rest, fluids and simple painkillers. A migraine attack lasts 4 hours to 3 days untreated. A headache from caffeine withdrawal passes within a few days of a steady intake. A headache that is constant for more than two weeks, or that keeps getting worse, is not following a benign pattern and needs assessment.
What can I take for a headache during pregnancy?
Paracetamol at the lowest effective dose is the usual first choice for a headache in pregnancy; anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen are avoided, especially in the third trimester. A new, severe or unusual headache in the second half of pregnancy, particularly with visual disturbance, swelling or upper abdominal pain, needs urgent in-person assessment for pre-eclampsia.
How can I prevent headaches?
Prevent headaches by keeping sleep and meals regular, drinking enough, limiting painkillers to fewer than 10 days a month, keeping caffeine steady, managing stress with exercise and breaks from screens, checking your posture and eyesight, and limiting alcohol. For frequent migraine or tension headache, a daily preventive medicine, and for some people acupuncture or physiotherapy, cut the number of headache days substantially.
- Headaches in over 12s: diagnosis and management (CG150), NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2012 (updated 2021).
- Headache disorders fact sheet, WHO, World Health Organization, 2024.
- International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3), International Headache Society, 2018.
- Migraine, HSE, Health Service Executive (Ireland), accessed August 2026.
- Oral paracetamol for treatment of acute episodic tension-type headache in adults, Cochrane, Cochrane Library, 2016.
- Headaches, NHS, National Health Service (UK), accessed October 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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