How to Get Rid of a Headache

A headache has a way of turning an ordinary afternoon into a slog. Most are the common, harmless kind: a band of pressure around the forehead, a dull ache behind the eyes, or a throb that builds after a long day at a screen. They are unpleasant, but they usually respond to simple measures.

Below is a practical order of things to try, along with a few ideas for keeping headaches away in the first place. Because a small number of headaches do signal something more serious, the warning signs are spelled out at the end.

First, a quick check-in

Before reaching for anything, ask yourself a few questions. When did you last drink something? Have you skipped a meal? Did you sleep badly? Have you been hunched over a laptop or squinting at a phone for hours? Are you later than usual with your morning coffee? The answer often points straight to the fix.

Steps that often help

1. Drink a glass of water. Being low on fluids is a common trigger. Sip steadily rather than gulping a large amount at once. For more on this, see our guide to how much water to drink a day.
2. Eat something. If it has been a while since your last meal, a simple snack with some protein or whole grains can take the edge off.
3. Step away from screens. Rest your eyes, look into the distance, or close them for a few minutes.
4. Find a quieter, darker space. Light and noise can make some headaches worse. Lie down for a short while if you can.
5. Try cold or warmth. A cool cloth on the forehead or back of the neck suits some people; a warm compress on tight neck and shoulder muscles suits others. Wrap ice packs in a cloth rather than putting them straight on skin.
6. Loosen up. Gentle shoulder rolls, slow neck stretches and a short walk in fresh air can ease muscle tension.
7. Breathe slowly. Stress tightens the muscles of the head and neck. A few minutes of slow, relaxed breathing can help them settle.

Using pain relief sensibly

Over-the-counter painkillers can be useful for occasional headaches. Always follow the instructions on the packet, check that a medicine is suitable for you, and ask a pharmacist if you are pregnant, have other health conditions or take other medicines. Be careful not to double up on the same ingredient by accident, as some cold and flu remedies contain painkillers too.

One thing worth knowing: taking painkillers for headaches on many days a month can, over time, lead to more frequent headaches, sometimes called medication-overuse headache. If you find yourself relying on tablets most weeks, that is a good reason to talk to a doctor.

Common triggers and simple counter-moves

Morning headaches around the temples are sometimes linked with clenching or grinding at night. If that sounds familiar, our article on how to stop grinding your teeth may be useful.

Keeping a headache diary

If headaches keep coming back, jot down when each one starts, how it feels, what you had eaten and drunk, how you slept, and what helped. After a few weeks, patterns often appear that are easy to miss day to day. A diary is also very helpful to bring along if you see a doctor.

When to get help

See a doctor if headaches are becoming more frequent or more severe, if they regularly wake you up, if they are worse when you cough, sneeze or bend over, if they started after age fifty with no previous history, or if over-the-counter relief no longer helps.

Seek emergency help straight away for a sudden, extremely severe headache that comes on like a thunderclap; a headache after a blow to the head; or a headache with a high temperature and stiff neck, a rash, confusion, drowsiness, fits, weakness or numbness on one side, slurred speech, loss of vision or double vision.

For the everyday kind, though, the first steps are humble: a drink, a snack, a break from the screen and a few quiet minutes. They work more often than you might expect.