🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 75 (from laksa119)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa075.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/headaches/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/headaches/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/symptoms\/headaches\/","crawl_time":1775638511,"first_indexed_time":1750012284,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"uk,nhs,www!\/symptoms\/headaches\/ s443","src_root_hash":"11359509702434384875","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Headaches - NHS","meta_descriptions":["Find out about headaches, including what you can do to help ease them, when to get medical advice and what the most common causes are."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Most headaches go away on their own and are not a sign of something more serious.\nHow you can ease headaches yourself\nHeadaches can last 30 minutes, several hours, or sometimes several days.\nDo\ndrink plenty of water\nget plenty of rest if you also have a cold or the flu\ntry to relax – stress can make headaches worse\ntake\nparacetamol\nor\nibuprofen\ntry 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\nDon’t\ndo not drink alcohol\ndo not skip meals (even if you might not feel like eating anything)\ndo not sleep more than you usually would – it can make the headache worse\ndo not strain your eyes for a long time – for example, by looking at a screen\nNon-urgent advice:\nSee a GP if:\nyour headache keeps coming back\npainkillers do not help and your headache gets worse\nyou have a bad throbbing pain at the front or side of your head – it could be a\nmigraine\nor, more rarely, a\ncluster headache\nyou feel sick, vomit and find light or noise painful\nyou regularly get headaches before or during your period\nUrgent advice:\nGet an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if:\nYou or your child has a severe headache and:\njaw pain when eating\nblurred or double vision\na sore scalp\nother symptoms, such as numbness or weakness in the arms or legs\nAlso get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of the following:\na headache that wakes them at night\na headache when they wake up in the morning\na headache that gets progressively worse\na headache triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing or bending down\na headache with vomiting\na headache with a\nsquint\n(where the eyes point in different directions) or an inability to look upward\nYou can call 111 or\nget help from 111 online\n.\nImmediate action required:\nCall 999 or go to A&E if you or your child:\nhas a head injury – for example, from a fall or accident\nhas a headache that came on suddenly and is extremely painful\nYou or your child has an extremely painful headache and:\nsudden problems speaking or remembering things\nloss of vision\nfeel drowsy or confused\nhas a very high temperature and\nsymptoms of meningitis\nthe white part of the eye is red\nAlso call 999 or go to A&E if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of the following:\na headache with vision problems or difficulty speaking, swallowing, balancing or walking\na headache with drowsiness or a persistent lack of energy\na headache that starts within 5 days of a head injury\nInformation:\nDo not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.\nBring any medicines you take with you.\nWhat can cause headaches\nCommon causes of headaches include:\nhaving a\ncold\nor\nflu\nstress\ndrinking too much alcohol\nbad posture\neyesight problems\nnot eating regular meals\nnot drinking enough fluids (dehydration)\ntaking too many painkillers\nhaving your period or during menopause (hormone headache)\nKeeping a headache diary might help you work out what triggers your headaches.\nThe Migraine Trust has advice about what to record in a headache diary\nPage last reviewed: 17 April 2024\nNext review due: 17 April 2027","attrs_markdown":"\n\n[Skip to main content](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/symptoms\/headaches\/#maincontent)\n\n- [Health A to Z](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/health-a-to-z\/)\n- [NHS services](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/nhs-services\/)\n- [Healthy living](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/live-well\/)\n- [Mental health](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/mental-health\/)\n- [Care and support](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/social-care-and-support\/)\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/)\n- Browse More\n\n1. [Home](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/)\n2. [Health A to Z](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/health-a-to-z\/)\n3. [Symptoms A to Z](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/symptoms\/)\n\n[Back to Symptoms A to Z](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/symptoms\/)\n\n# Headaches\nMost headaches go away on their own and are not a sign of something more serious.\n\n## How you can ease headaches yourself\nHeadaches can last 30 minutes, several hours, or sometimes several days.\n\n### Do\n- drink plenty of water\n- get plenty of rest if you also have a cold or the flu\n- try to relax – stress can make headaches worse\n- take [paracetamol](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/medicines\/paracetamol-for-adults\/) or [ibuprofen](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/medicines\/ibuprofen-for-adults\/)\n- 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\n\n### Don’t\n- do not drink alcohol\n- do not skip meals (even if you might not feel like eating anything)\n- do not sleep more than you usually would – it can make the headache worse\n- do not strain your eyes for a long time – for example, by looking at a screen\n\n## Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:\n- your headache keeps coming back\n- painkillers do not help and your headache gets worse\n- you have a bad throbbing pain at the front or side of your head – it could be a [migraine](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/migraine\/) or, more rarely, a [cluster headache](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/cluster-headaches\/)\n- you feel sick, vomit and find light or noise painful\n- you regularly get headaches before or during your period\n\n## Urgent advice: Get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if:\nYou or your child has a severe headache and:\n\n- jaw pain when eating\n- blurred or double vision\n- a sore scalp\n- other symptoms, such as numbness or weakness in the arms or legs\n\nAlso get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of the following:\n\n- a headache that wakes them at night\n- a headache when they wake up in the morning\n- a headache that gets progressively worse\n- a headache triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing or bending down\n- a headache with vomiting\n- a headache with a [squint](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/squint\/) (where the eyes point in different directions) or an inability to look upward\n\nYou can call 111 or [get help from 111 online](https:\/\/111.nhs.uk\/triage\/check-your-symptoms).\n\n## Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A\\&E if you or your child:\n- has a head injury – for example, from a fall or accident\n- has a headache that came on suddenly and is extremely painful\n\nYou or your child has an extremely painful headache and:\n\n- sudden problems speaking or remembering things\n- loss of vision\n- feel drowsy or confused\n- has a very high temperature and [symptoms of meningitis](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/meningitis\/symptoms\/)\n- the white part of the eye is red\n\nAlso call 999 or go to A\\&E if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of the following:\n\n- a headache with vision problems or difficulty speaking, swallowing, balancing or walking\n- a headache with drowsiness or a persistent lack of energy\n- a headache that starts within 5 days of a head injury\n\nInformation:\n\nDo not drive to A\\&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.\n\nBring any medicines you take with you.\n\n## What can cause headaches\nCommon causes of headaches include:\n\n- having a [cold](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/common-cold\/) or [flu](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/flu\/)\n- stress\n- drinking too much alcohol\n- bad posture\n- eyesight problems\n- not eating regular meals\n- not drinking enough fluids (dehydration)\n- taking too many painkillers\n- having your period or during menopause (hormone headache)\n\nKeeping a headache diary might help you work out what triggers your headaches.\n\n[The Migraine Trust has advice about what to record in a headache diary](https:\/\/migrainetrust.org\/live-with-migraine\/self-management\/keeping-a-migraine-diary\/)\n\nPage last reviewed: 17 April 2024  \n Next review due: 17 April 2027\n\n## Support links\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/)\n- [Health A to Z](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/health-a-to-z\/)\n- [NHS services](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/nhs-services\/)\n- [Healthy living](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/live-well\/)\n- [Mental health](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/mental-health\/)\n- [Care and support](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/social-care-and-support\/)\n- [COVID-19](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/covid-19\/)\n\n- [NHS App](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/nhs-app\/)\n- [Find my NHS number](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/nhs-services\/online-services\/find-nhs-number\/)\n- [View your GP health record](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/nhs-services\/gps\/view-your-gp-health-record\/)\n- [View your test results](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/nhs-services\/online-services\/view-your-test-results\/)\n- [About the NHS](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/using-the-nhs\/about-the-nhs\/)\n- [Healthcare abroad](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/using-the-nhs\/healthcare-abroad\/)\n\n- [Other NHS websites](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/nhs-sites\/)\n- [Profile editor login](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/our-policies\/profile-editor-login\/)\n\n- [About us](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/about-us\/)\n- [Report an issue with the NHS website](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/report-an-issue-with-the-nhs-website)\n- [Accessibility statement](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/accessibility-statement\/)\n- [Our policies](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/our-policies\/)\n- [Cookies](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/our-policies\/choose-your-cookie-settings\/)\n\n© Crown copyright","attrs_readable_markdown":"Most headaches go away on their own and are not a sign of something more serious.\n\n## How you can ease headaches yourself\nHeadaches can last 30 minutes, several hours, or sometimes several days.\n\n### Do\n- drink plenty of water\n- get plenty of rest if you also have a cold or the flu\n- try to relax – stress can make headaches worse\n- take [paracetamol](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/medicines\/paracetamol-for-adults\/) or [ibuprofen](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/medicines\/ibuprofen-for-adults\/)\n- 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\n\n### Don’t\n- do not drink alcohol\n- do not skip meals (even if you might not feel like eating anything)\n- do not sleep more than you usually would – it can make the headache worse\n- do not strain your eyes for a long time – for example, by looking at a screen\n\n## Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:\n- your headache keeps coming back\n- painkillers do not help and your headache gets worse\n- you have a bad throbbing pain at the front or side of your head – it could be a [migraine](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/migraine\/) or, more rarely, a [cluster headache](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/cluster-headaches\/)\n- you feel sick, vomit and find light or noise painful\n- you regularly get headaches before or during your period\n\n## Urgent advice: Get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if:\nYou or your child has a severe headache and:\n\n- jaw pain when eating\n- blurred or double vision\n- a sore scalp\n- other symptoms, such as numbness or weakness in the arms or legs\n\nAlso get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of the following:\n\n- a headache that wakes them at night\n- a headache when they wake up in the morning\n- a headache that gets progressively worse\n- a headache triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing or bending down\n- a headache with vomiting\n- a headache with a [squint](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/squint\/) (where the eyes point in different directions) or an inability to look upward\n\nYou can call 111 or [get help from 111 online](https:\/\/111.nhs.uk\/triage\/check-your-symptoms).\n\n## Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A\\&E if you or your child:\n- has a head injury – for example, from a fall or accident\n- has a headache that came on suddenly and is extremely painful\n\nYou or your child has an extremely painful headache and:\n\n- sudden problems speaking or remembering things\n- loss of vision\n- feel drowsy or confused\n- has a very high temperature and [symptoms of meningitis](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/meningitis\/symptoms\/)\n- the white part of the eye is red\n\nAlso call 999 or go to A\\&E if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of the following:\n\n- a headache with vision problems or difficulty speaking, swallowing, balancing or walking\n- a headache with drowsiness or a persistent lack of energy\n- a headache that starts within 5 days of a head injury\n\nInformation:\n\nDo not drive to A\\&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.\n\nBring any medicines you take with you.\n\n## What can cause headaches\nCommon causes of headaches include:\n\n- having a [cold](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/common-cold\/) or [flu](https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/flu\/)\n- stress\n- drinking too much alcohol\n- bad posture\n- eyesight problems\n- not eating regular meals\n- not drinking enough fluids (dehydration)\n- taking too many painkillers\n- having your period or during menopause (hormone headache)\n\nKeeping a headache diary might help you work out what triggers your headaches.\n\n[The Migraine Trust has advice about what to record in a headache diary](https:\/\/migrainetrust.org\/live-with-migraine\/self-management\/keeping-a-migraine-diary\/)\n\nPage last reviewed: 17 April 2024  \n Next review due: 17 April 2027","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

8 hours ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	0 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/headaches/
Last Crawled	2026-04-08 08:55:11 (8 hours ago)
First Indexed	2025-06-15 18:31:24 (9 months ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	Headaches - NHS
Meta Description	Find out about headaches, including what you can do to help ease them, when to get medical advice and what the most common causes are.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	Most headaches go away on their own and are not a sign of something more serious. 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 Urgent advice: Get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if: You or your child has a severe headache and: jaw pain when eating blurred or double vision a sore scalp other symptoms, such as numbness or weakness in the arms or legs Also get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of the following: a headache that wakes them at night a headache when they wake up in the morning a headache that gets progressively worse a headache triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing or bending down a headache with vomiting a headache with a squint (where the eyes point in different directions) or an inability to look upward You can call 111 or get help from 111 online . Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if you or your child: has a head injury – for example, from a fall or accident has a headache that came on suddenly and is extremely painful You or your child has an extremely painful headache and: sudden problems speaking or remembering things loss of vision feel drowsy or confused has a very high temperature and symptoms of meningitis the white part of the eye is red Also call 999 or go to A&E if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of the following: a headache with vision problems or difficulty speaking, swallowing, balancing or walking a headache with drowsiness or a persistent lack of energy a headache that starts within 5 days of a head injury Information: Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance. Bring any medicines you take with you. What can cause headaches Common causes of headaches include: having a cold or flu stress drinking too much alcohol bad posture eyesight problems not eating regular meals not drinking enough fluids (dehydration) taking too many painkillers having your period or during menopause (hormone headache) Keeping a headache diary might help you work out what triggers your headaches. The Migraine Trust has advice about what to record in a headache diary Page last reviewed: 17 April 2024 Next review due: 17 April 2027
Markdown	[Skip to main content](https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/headaches/#maincontent) - [Health A to Z](https://www.nhs.uk/health-a-to-z/) - [NHS services](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/) - [Healthy living](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/) - [Mental health](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/) - [Care and support](https://www.nhs.uk/social-care-and-support/) - [Home](https://www.nhs.uk/) - Browse More 1. [Home](https://www.nhs.uk/) 2. [Health A to Z](https://www.nhs.uk/health-a-to-z/) 3. [Symptoms A to Z](https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/) [Back to Symptoms A to Z](https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/) # Headaches Most headaches go away on their own and are not a sign of something more serious. ## 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](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/paracetamol-for-adults/) or [ibuprofen](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/ibuprofen-for-adults/) - 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](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/migraine/) or, more rarely, a [cluster headache](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cluster-headaches/) - you feel sick, vomit and find light or noise painful - you regularly get headaches before or during your period ## Urgent advice: Get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if: You or your child has a severe headache and: - jaw pain when eating - blurred or double vision - a sore scalp - other symptoms, such as numbness or weakness in the arms or legs Also get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of the following: - a headache that wakes them at night - a headache when they wake up in the morning - a headache that gets progressively worse - a headache triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing or bending down - a headache with vomiting - a headache with a [squint](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/squint/) (where the eyes point in different directions) or an inability to look upward You can call 111 or [get help from 111 online](https://111.nhs.uk/triage/check-your-symptoms). ## Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A\&E if you or your child: - has a head injury – for example, from a fall or accident - has a headache that came on suddenly and is extremely painful You or your child has an extremely painful headache and: - sudden problems speaking or remembering things - loss of vision - feel drowsy or confused - has a very high temperature and [symptoms of meningitis](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/symptoms/) - the white part of the eye is red Also call 999 or go to A\&E if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of the following: - a headache with vision problems or difficulty speaking, swallowing, balancing or walking - a headache with drowsiness or a persistent lack of energy - a headache that starts within 5 days of a head injury Information: Do not drive to A\&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance. Bring any medicines you take with you. ## What can cause headaches Common causes of headaches include: - having a [cold](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/common-cold/) or [flu](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/flu/) - stress - drinking too much alcohol - bad posture - eyesight problems - not eating regular meals - not drinking enough fluids (dehydration) - taking too many painkillers - having your period or during menopause (hormone headache) Keeping a headache diary might help you work out what triggers your headaches. [The Migraine Trust has advice about what to record in a headache diary](https://migrainetrust.org/live-with-migraine/self-management/keeping-a-migraine-diary/) Page last reviewed: 17 April 2024 Next review due: 17 April 2027 ## Support links - [Home](https://www.nhs.uk/) - [Health A to Z](https://www.nhs.uk/health-a-to-z/) - [NHS services](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/) - [Healthy living](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/) - [Mental health](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/) - [Care and support](https://www.nhs.uk/social-care-and-support/) - [COVID-19](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/) - [NHS App](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/) - [Find my NHS number](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/find-nhs-number/) - [View your GP health record](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/view-your-gp-health-record/) - [View your test results](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/view-your-test-results/) - [About the NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/) - [Healthcare abroad](https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/) - [Other NHS websites](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-sites/) - [Profile editor login](https://www.nhs.uk/our-policies/profile-editor-login/) - [About us](https://www.nhs.uk/about-us/) - [Report an issue with the NHS website](https://www.nhs.uk/report-an-issue-with-the-nhs-website) - [Accessibility statement](https://www.nhs.uk/accessibility-statement/) - [Our policies](https://www.nhs.uk/our-policies/) - [Cookies](https://www.nhs.uk/our-policies/choose-your-cookie-settings/) © Crown copyright
Readable Markdown	Most headaches go away on their own and are not a sign of something more serious. ## 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](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/paracetamol-for-adults/) or [ibuprofen](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/ibuprofen-for-adults/) - 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](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/migraine/) or, more rarely, a [cluster headache](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cluster-headaches/) - you feel sick, vomit and find light or noise painful - you regularly get headaches before or during your period ## Urgent advice: Get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if: You or your child has a severe headache and: - jaw pain when eating - blurred or double vision - a sore scalp - other symptoms, such as numbness or weakness in the arms or legs Also get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of the following: - a headache that wakes them at night - a headache when they wake up in the morning - a headache that gets progressively worse - a headache triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing or bending down - a headache with vomiting - a headache with a [squint](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/squint/) (where the eyes point in different directions) or an inability to look upward You can call 111 or [get help from 111 online](https://111.nhs.uk/triage/check-your-symptoms). ## Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A\&E if you or your child: - has a head injury – for example, from a fall or accident - has a headache that came on suddenly and is extremely painful You or your child has an extremely painful headache and: - sudden problems speaking or remembering things - loss of vision - feel drowsy or confused - has a very high temperature and [symptoms of meningitis](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/symptoms/) - the white part of the eye is red Also call 999 or go to A\&E if your child is under 12 and has any 1 of the following: - a headache with vision problems or difficulty speaking, swallowing, balancing or walking - a headache with drowsiness or a persistent lack of energy - a headache that starts within 5 days of a head injury Information: Do not drive to A\&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance. Bring any medicines you take with you. ## What can cause headaches Common causes of headaches include: - having a [cold](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/common-cold/) or [flu](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/flu/) - stress - drinking too much alcohol - bad posture - eyesight problems - not eating regular meals - not drinking enough fluids (dehydration) - taking too many painkillers - having your period or during menopause (hormone headache) Keeping a headache diary might help you work out what triggers your headaches. [The Migraine Trust has advice about what to record in a headache diary](https://migrainetrust.org/live-with-migraine/self-management/keeping-a-migraine-diary/) Page last reviewed: 17 April 2024 Next review due: 17 April 2027
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