How you can ease headaches yourself

Headaches can last 30 minutes, several hours, or sometimes several days.

Do

• drink plenty of water
• get plenty of rest if you also have a cold or the flu
• try to relax – stress can make headaches worse
• take paracetamol or ibuprofen
• try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you also have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to do your normal activities

Don’t

• do not drink alcohol
• do not skip meals (even if you might not feel like eating anything)
• do not sleep more than you usually would – it can make the headache worse
• do not strain your eyes for a long time – for example, by looking at a screen

Non-urgent advice - See a GP if:

• your headache keeps coming back
• painkillers do not help and your headache gets worse
• you have a bad throbbing pain at the front or side of your head – it could be a migraine or, more rarely, a cluster headache
• you feel sick, vomit and find light or noise painful
• you regularly get headaches before or during your period

Adapted from [Headaches]