How to Relieve a Headache or Migraine

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How to Relieve a Headache or Migraine

By Your Health Magazine Health Information Team

To relieve a headache or migraine, pause your activities, rest in a quiet and dimly lit place, drink fluids if you may be dehydrated, and consider an appropriate over-the-counter pain reliever used exactly as labeled. Treating a familiar migraine early often works better than waiting until the pain becomes severe. However, a sudden, unusually severe, or neurologically complicated headache requires immediate medical evaluation.

What to Do for Headache Relief Right Now

1. Reduce light, noise, and strong smells. Sit or lie down in a quiet, darkened room, particularly if you have migraine-related sensitivity to light or sound.
2. Drink water gradually. Dehydration can contribute to headaches. Rehydrate normally rather than forcing excessive amounts of fluid.
3. Eat something if you skipped a meal. A light snack may help when hunger or an irregular meal schedule contributed to the headache.
4. Try a compress. A cool cloth or wrapped cold pack on the forehead, temple, or back of the neck may ease migraine pain. Some tension headaches respond better to gentle warmth on tight neck or shoulder muscles. Protect your skin and limit exposure to short intervals.
5. Relax tense muscles. Unclench your jaw, lower your shoulders, take slow breaths, and gently change positions if you have been sitting at a desk or looking at a screen.
6. Use medication carefully. If an over-the-counter medicine is safe for you, follow the Drug Facts label and check that another medicine you take does not contain the same ingredient.

A small amount of caffeine helps some people when used early in a migraine, but too much caffeine—or suddenly stopping regular caffeine intake—can also trigger headaches. Beverages can contain caffeine, sweeteners, alcohol, or other possible triggers, so it may help to learn more about the possible connection between carbonated beverages and headaches.

Is It a Tension Headache or Migraine?

Choosing an effective approach starts with recognizing the general pattern. Symptoms overlap, and a healthcare professional should evaluate headaches that are new, changing, or difficult to control.

Migraine is a neurological condition, not simply a very painful tension headache. The National Library of Medicine provides additional information about migraine symptoms, triggers, diagnosis, and treatment.

Over-the-Counter and Prescription Treatment

Common nonprescription options include acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin. Some migraine products combine acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine. Taking a suitable medicine early in a familiar headache or migraine may provide better relief, but always use it according to its label.

Over-the-counter medicines are not safe for everyone. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before using them if you are pregnant, take blood thinners, drink substantial amounts of alcohol, or have liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, or medication allergies. Children and teenagers should not take aspirin unless a healthcare professional specifically recommends it.

Avoid taking two NSAIDs together, such as ibuprofen and naproxen. Check cold, flu, sinus, sleep, and combination headache products for duplicate ingredients—especially acetaminophen. Taking more than directed can cause serious harm.

If nonprescription treatment does not provide reliable relief, a healthcare professional may consider migraine-specific prescription medicines, nausea treatment, or preventive therapy. Options depend on the person’s symptoms, health history, other medications, and whether treatment is intended to stop an attack or prevent future attacks. The FDA offers an overview of migraine medicines and medication-overuse headache.

Avoid Medication-Overuse Headache

Frequent use of medications intended to stop headaches can make headaches more frequent or persistent. This can occur with nonprescription pain relievers, combination caffeine products, and some prescription migraine medicines. If you need acute medication more than two days per week, have headaches on many days each month, or find that medicine is becoming less effective, talk with a healthcare professional. Do not abruptly stop a regularly used prescription medicine without medical guidance.

How to Reduce Future Headaches

A headache diary can reveal patterns that are difficult to notice from memory. Record when the pain began, its location and severity, accompanying symptoms, medications used, sleep, meals, caffeine, menstrual timing, stress, and possible environmental triggers.

• Keep meals and sleep consistent. Skipped meals and major sleep changes can trigger migraine in some people.
• Stay adequately hydrated. Fluid needs vary with body size, activity, weather, pregnancy, and medical conditions.
• Keep caffeine intake steady and moderate. Both heavy intake and withdrawal may contribute to headaches.
• Take screen and posture breaks. Adjust lighting, reduce glare, and avoid holding the neck in one position for long periods.
• Manage stress and muscle tension. Slow breathing, relaxation exercises, gentle stretching, and regular physical activity may help.
• Discuss prevention if attacks are frequent. Preventive treatments may be appropriate when migraines are frequent, prolonged, disabling, or poorly controlled by acute medication.

Do not eliminate numerous foods based only on general trigger lists. Individual triggers vary, and overly restrictive diets can create nutritional problems. Look for a repeatable pattern in your diary and discuss significant dietary changes with a qualified healthcare professional.

When to Seek Care

Call 911 or seek emergency care for a headache that is sudden and explosive, is the worst headache you have experienced, or occurs with weakness, numbness, facial drooping, difficulty speaking, confusion, fainting, a seizure, loss of balance, or new vision loss. Emergency evaluation is also appropriate when severe headache follows a head injury or occurs with fever and a stiff neck.

The National Library of Medicine lists additional headache danger signs that require prompt attention, including severe pain in one red eye and certain new neurological symptoms.

Arrange a medical appointment if headaches are becoming more frequent or severe, have changed from their usual pattern, repeatedly wake you from sleep, last for several days, or interfere with work, school, sleep, or normal activities. New or severe headaches also deserve prompt assessment during pregnancy or after delivery, after age 50, or in someone with cancer or a weakened immune system. A primary care clinician can perform an initial evaluation, while a neurologist or headache specialist may help with recurring or difficult-to-treat migraine.