Knowledge Centre
Providing rapid medical guidance and expert health insights for informational purposes. While our guides are written by Harley Street clinicians, they do not replace a professional consultation.
Headache Relief and Overall Health
Headache is one of the most common reasons for a GP consultation. Tension-type headache affects up to 80% of the population at some point, and migraine affects roughly one in seven people in the UK. Despite being so common, both are frequently undertreated because people assume nothing can be done beyond taking painkillers.
Effective headache management often depends on factors beyond the headache itself. Sleep patterns, hydration, stress, screen time, neck posture, and even painkiller use can all drive headache frequency. Addressing these makes a bigger difference than most people expect.
Seek urgent assessment for:
- Sudden severe headache reaching maximum intensity within minutes (thunderclap headache)
- Headache with fever, neck stiffness, rash, or confusion
- Headache with new visual loss or double vision
- Headache after head injury, especially with drowsiness or vomiting
- New headache pattern in someone over 50
- Headache worsened by coughing, straining, or lying down
A thunderclap headache (worst headache of your life, seconds to peak) requires emergency assessment to exclude subarachnoid haemorrhage. Call 999.
Common headache types
Tension-type headache
The most common type. Pain is typically a pressing or tightening sensation felt on both sides of the head, sometimes extending into the neck. It doesn't usually prevent normal activity. Stress, poor sleep, dehydration, skipped meals, and prolonged screen use are frequent triggers. It responds well to simple painkillers, but regular use of these can lead to medication overuse headache.
Migraine
Migraine causes moderate to severe throbbing pain, usually on one side, lasting 4-72 hours. Nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and noise are common. About a third of people experience aura — visual disturbances like flashing lights or blind spots — 15-60 minutes before the headache. Migraine is the leading cause of disability in under-50s globally. It is a neurological condition, not just a bad headache.
Medication overuse headache
This develops when painkillers are used too frequently — paracetamol or ibuprofen on 15 or more days per month, or triptans on 10 or more days per month. The headache becomes daily or near-daily. The brain adapts to regular pain relief and produces a rebound headache as each dose wears off. Withdrawal from the overused medication is the treatment, though headaches temporarily worsen for 1-2 weeks before improving.
What your overall health has to do with it
Headaches don't happen in isolation. Irregular sleep — both too little and too much — is one of the strongest triggers for both tension headache and migraine. Aim for consistent sleep and wake times, even on weekends.
Skipping meals drops blood glucose and triggers headaches in many people. Regular meals, adequate hydration (1.5-2 litres daily), and limiting caffeine to no more than 2-3 cups of coffee a day all help. Caffeine withdrawal headaches are common in heavy coffee drinkers who miss their usual intake.
Regular aerobic exercise — 30 minutes, three to five times a week — has evidence for reducing headache frequency comparable to some preventive medications. Neck and shoulder tension from desk work is also worth addressing, particularly for tension-type headache. A simple change in workstation ergonomics or regular breaks from screen work can reduce headache frequency significantly.
Prevention
Keeping a headache diary for 6-8 weeks helps identify patterns and triggers. Record what you ate, how much you slept, your stress level, and any painkillers taken. This gives your doctor far more useful information than a vague description of "frequent headaches."
If you're having four or more migraine days per month, NICE recommends considering preventive medication. First-line options include propranolol (a beta-blocker), topiramate (an anti-epileptic), or low-dose amitriptyline (an antidepressant used at sub-therapeutic doses for pain). These are taken daily to reduce headache frequency over weeks to months.
How we can help
We offer GP consultations focused on headache assessment and management. This includes a thorough history, neurological examination, and review of your headache diary if you have one. Blood tests can be arranged on-site if an underlying cause (such as anaemia, thyroid dysfunction, or inflammation) needs excluding.
For migraines, we can prescribe acute treatments (triptans) and preventive medications, and refer to a neurologist or headache specialist if needed. If medication overuse headache is identified, we'll create a supported withdrawal plan.
Headache assessment
GP consultation with neurological examination. Prescription and blood tests available same day. No referral required.
Call 020 7499 1991 or book online.
Dr Mohammad Bakhtiar
Health Screening and Men's Health • GMC 4694470
"Leading our clinical team, Dr Bakhtiar has been seeing patients at Medical Express Clinic for over 20 years. Patients regularly praise his expertise in comprehensive health assessments, sexual health screening, diagnosis and treatment as well as his personable and compassionate approach to care."
View TeamCommon Questions
Q.How do I know if my headache is a migraine?
Migraines typically cause moderate to severe pulsating or throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head. They're often accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, and last between 4 and 72 hours. About a third of people experience an aura beforehand — visual disturbances like flashing lights or zigzag lines. If you can continue normal activities during a headache, it's less likely to be migraine.
Q.Can painkillers actually cause headaches?
Yes. Medication overuse headache (MOH) is one of the most common causes of daily or near-daily headaches. It develops when simple painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen are taken on 15 or more days per month, or triptans on 10 or more days per month, for three months or longer. The headache gets worse as the painkiller wears off, creating a cycle. The treatment is gradually withdrawing the overused medication, which temporarily worsens headaches before they improve.
Q.When should I see a doctor about headaches?
See a doctor if your headaches are getting more frequent or severe over weeks, if painkillers are no longer working, if headaches are affecting work or daily life, or if you're using painkillers on more than two days a week. Seek urgent assessment for a sudden severe headache unlike any you've had before (thunderclap headache), headache with fever and neck stiffness, headache with visual loss, or headache after head injury.
Q.Does dehydration really cause headaches?
It can contribute. Dehydration reduces blood volume and can trigger headaches in susceptible people, particularly tension-type headaches. Studies suggest that insufficient fluid intake is a trigger for both tension headaches and migraines. Drinking 1.5 to 2 litres of water daily won't cure chronic headaches, but inadequate hydration makes them more likely. It's a simple factor worth addressing.
Q.Are there preventive treatments for frequent headaches?
Yes. If you're having four or more migraine days per month, preventive medication may be appropriate. NICE recommends topiramate, propranolol, or amitriptyline as first-line preventive options for migraine. For chronic tension-type headache, low-dose amitriptyline is the main preventive. Non-drug approaches — regular sleep, regular meals, stress management, and aerobic exercise — reduce headache frequency in many people and should be tried alongside medication.
Need Professional Advice?
While our Knowledge Centre provides expert insights, it does not replace a face-to-face consultation with a doctor.
