The useful points to carry forward
- Start time, duration, location and how the pain felt.
- Associated nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, visual changes or other symptoms.
- Sleep, meals, hydration, menstrual timing, stress and recent illness.
- Medicines taken, the dose, timing and whether they helped.
The pattern is often more useful than one pain score
Headache is a symptom with many possible causes. Common primary headache disorders include tension-type headache and migraine, while a secondary headache is caused by another health problem. Location or intensity alone usually cannot identify the type.
Migraine may involve nausea and sensitivity to light or sound, with or without aura. Tension-type headache is often described as pressure or tightness. These are general patterns, not a way to diagnose yourself; symptoms can overlap and a clinician may need to review new, frequent or disabling headaches.
Build a useful headache diary
A simple diary can help reveal frequency, changes and possible associations. Record information during or soon after an episode rather than relying on memory at a later appointment. Avoid assuming that every event before a headache is a trigger until a pattern repeats.
Frequent use of pain-relief medicines can itself contribute to recurring headaches in some people. Record all medicines and doses honestly, including non-prescription products, and ask a clinician or pharmacist for advice rather than abruptly changing a long-used treatment.
- Start time, duration, location and how the pain felt.
- Associated nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, visual changes or other symptoms.
- Sleep, meals, hydration, menstrual timing, stress and recent illness.
- Medicines taken, the dose, timing and whether they helped.
- How the headache affected work, study, sleep or normal activity.
Red flags should change the plan
Call local emergency services for a headache that is sudden and extremely painful, or a severe headache with new weakness, numbness, facial droop, trouble speaking, confusion, fainting, seizure, loss of vision or difficulty walking. A severe headache after a significant head injury, or with high fever and a stiff neck, also needs emergency assessment.
Seek timely medical review when headaches are becoming more frequent or severe, repeatedly wake you, follow a new pattern, do not improve, or occur with vomiting or concerning vision symptoms. New headaches during pregnancy or soon after birth also deserve prompt advice. This article cannot identify the cause of an individual headache.
Guidance can change. This source was last checked for this article on 3 October 2026. See the editorial policy.