Most headaches need no doctor: rest, fluids, and a standard painkiller cover the common kinds.
The emergency signs, per the NHS: sudden, extremely painful onset; numbness or weakness; speech trouble, confusion, vision loss, or seizure; very high temperature with stiff neck or light sensitivity; a rash that does not fade under a pressed glass; or a bad headache within 3 months of a head injury. Book an appointment for headaches that keep returning, worsen, shrug off painkillers, or arrive with jaw pain on eating. And the trap: taking painkillers more than two days a week can cause daily headaches - if you treat most days, the fix may be the problem. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you sort it.
What to do
Common questions
Should I see a doctor for a headache?
The huge majority of headaches are tension headaches or migraines - miserable, but not dangerous - and respond to rest, fluids, and a standard painkiller. The NHS draws two clear lines. Emergency line (call an ambulance or go to the ER): a headache that starts suddenly and is extremely painful, or any headache with numbness or weakness in the body or face, trouble speaking, confusion, loss of vision, a seizure, a very high temperature with a stiff neck or light bothering your eyes, or a rash that does not fade when a glass is pressed against it - and any significant headache within 3 months of a head injury. Appointment line (urgent but not an ambulance): headaches that keep coming back, are getting worse, do not respond to painkillers, come with jaw pain when eating, or are triggered by coughing, sneezing, bending down, or exercise. One counterintuitive trap: using painkillers on more than about two days a week can itself cause daily headaches - if you are treating headaches most days, the treatment may be the cause, and that conversation needs a doctor too. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you sort which kind of headache yours is.