What is a headache?

For most people headaches are an uncommon, unpleasant and temporary experience. While other people get a headache nearly every day. Headaches can be caused by a number of different factors, including lack of sleep or stress. Long hours in front of a screen and bad lighting can also trigger mild headaches.

They can also come about after consuming the food and drinks that their body has a reaction to, such as alcohol, caffeine or high sugar foods. Headaches can also occur from eating and drinking too little. For mild and occasional headaches it is safe to take recommended doses of paracetamol or ibuprofen, as well as making sure you stay hydrated and well fed.

Headaches caused by sinus pain

Some headaches are caused by referred sinus pain. This can happen if you have a sinus infection, a cold or or the flu. The headache is caused because the sinus cavities fill up with infected liquid, this means any sudden head movements often cause a deep throbbing pain.

Headaches caused by injury

More serious headaches occur very rarely and are generally the result of an injury, such as a fall or knock to the head. This impact to the head can cause bleeding in an area of the brain that leads to a build up of pressure. Headaches associated with these types of injuries are often very severe and are generally accompanied by other symptoms, such as loss of consciousness. Headache, with or without a loss of consciousness from a head injury can be a sign of concussion. It is important to seek advice from a doctor immediately if you suspect someone has a concussion.

Headaches cause by serious illness

Severe headaches may be a sign of a serious condition such as a brain tumour. These types of headaches cause intense pain and are often preceded by other symptoms like seizures, changes in vision or loss of strength in the arms and legs.

Treatment for headache

Treating most headaches is generally simple. Pain relieving medication, such as paracetamol, will ease most headaches. But if you have tried paracetamol, and it hasn’t helped our pharmacists will be able to advise you on the next steps to take to tackle your symptoms.

Some people suffer from migraines. There are many effective treatments available to treat and prevent migraines. The first step for migraine treatment is to you get your condition diagnosed by your doctor and follow their advice about treatment options. You can also talk to our community pharmacists about managing your lifestyle to lessen the effects of these conditions. We can manage any repeat prescriptions you may be given by your doctor.

We are available for support

If you are unsure of the cause of your headache, and don’t know whether or not to get help from a doctor, you can talk to our community pharmacists.

They will be able to guide you to a likely cause and give clear advice about whether treating the headache, or the cause of the pain, will be enough.