Common symptoms
- Throbbing or pressure-like pain
- Nausea or light and sound sensitivity
- Visual or sensory aura
- Tension or neck features
- Sleep- or medicine-related headache
Risk factors
- Personal or family migraine history
- Irregular sleep or skipped meals
- Frequent painkiller use
- Hormonal or stress triggers
- High BP or other illness
When to consult a doctor
- Symptoms persist, recur or affect daily life
- A test report is abnormal or difficult to interpret
- Current treatment is not working or causes side effects
- Several health conditions or medicines need coordination
How the condition is assessed
Timing, location, frequency, triggers, medicines and neurological examination help classify the headache. A diary can clarify patterns.
Possible investigations
- Often none for typical stable migraine
- BP and neurological examination
- Blood tests if systemic cause is suspected
- Brain imaging for red flags or abnormal examination
Tests are selected according to symptoms, examination and individual risk. Not every person needs every investigation listed.
General treatment approach
Care may include acute-relief and preventive medicines, trigger management and treatment of sleep or other contributors. Medication overuse must be avoided.
Lifestyle considerations
- Keep regular sleep, meals and hydration
- Use a headache diary
- Build activity and stress-management routines
- Limit frequent unsupervised painkillers
Warning signs requiring urgent care
- Sudden worst-ever headache
- Weakness, confusion, seizure or speech difficulty
- High fever with stiff neck
- Headache after major injury or with vision loss
If a warning sign is present, do not wait for a routine appointment. Seek urgent assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Does every headache need a scan?+
No. Imaging depends on the pattern, examination and red flags.
Can painkillers worsen headache?+
Yes, when acute medicines are used too frequently.
