How to Get Relief from a COVID-19 Headache, Including Home Remedies

Cough, fever and shortness of breath used to be some of the most common signs (besides a positive test) that you’d been infected with COVID-19. But the latest variants have brought another rising symptom to the table: headache.

“Earlier in the pandemic we were seeing headaches frequently in patients who had lost their sense of smell and taste, but with Omicron, we are now seeing headaches even without loss of senses, and they often occur both during and after the infection period,” says Thomas Gut, D.O., director of the Post-COVID Recovery Center at Staten Island University Hospital, part of Northwell Health in New York.

And research is starting to emerge that backs up those anecdotal clinical findings. Headache, fatigue and cold-like symptoms such as runny nose were the most commonly reported Omicron symptoms, says one recent study in the journal The BMJ, while another in The Journal of Headache and Pain found headache to be one of the most frequent and persisting “long Covid” symptoms.

Medical experts are also finding that headaches are presenting as a Covid-19 symptom in both people who are predisposed (a.k.a previously suffered from headaches pre-infection), and those who have never had a headache before at all. “Many patients are saying that they have a headache for the first time during Covid, which is unfortunate,” says Rafia Shafqat, M.D., an OhioHealth neurologist.

Here’s what to know about a Covid-19 headache, plus how to find some relief.

What does a COVID-19 headache feel like?

If you’ve ever had a headache or frequently deal with them, this might sound familiar. But since there are several types of headaches — migraine, tension and cluster being the biggies— there’s a chance you may not have experienced this exact type of headache pain before. “Most people report it to be a tension-type headache, with a band-like phenomenon, but it can also be a migraine-type headache that comes with nausea or light and sound sensitivity,” explains Rachel Colman, M. D., board-certified neurologist and headache medicine specialist at Hartford Healthcare Ayer Neuroscience Institute in Connecticut.

Dr. Shafqat says a COVID-19 headache may also feel like or be accompanied by:

• Throbbing or pulsating pain
• Sharp, stabbing pain in the temples or back of the head
• Vertigo, lightheadedness or dizziness
• Sensory dysfunction such as numbness or tingling, difficulty thinking or ringing in the ears

What causes a COVID0-19 headache?

There could be a few things at play. For one, the body-wide inflammation you experience while infected with the virus could trigger a headache, as could the blood vessels in your brain becoming inflamed, says Dr. Colman. Then there’s the potential neurological piece, since we know COVID-19 can attack our neurological system, plus headache in general is a neurological condition. “The theory is that once the virus has gone up through the nose to the olfactory bulb (which affects our senses), it can attack nerves that contribute to pain in the head and impact blood vessels in the brain,” says Dr. Colman. “So a direct invasion there is one theory for why people have COVID-related headaches.”

Other things that happen during an infection, such as not staying hydrated enough, not eating enough or not getting good sleep may also contribute to or worsen a headache.

How long does a COVID-19 headache last?

It depends. Some people may have a headache until they test negative, while others may only have a headache for a few days of the active infection period. How long headaches last during “long COVID” is even murkier, with the symptom presenting for days, weeks or months. “It’s a mixed bag. Some patients who have had migraine and tension headaches before say they become more frequent right after COVID, and some people who have never had them routinely are developing tension-like headache symptoms that linger,” Dr. Gut says. “Usually, we see the headache symptoms go away after a few months.”

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What’s the best way to get relief from a COVID-19 headache?

Spoiler alert: There’s no magic fix. “It’s pretty much the same things you’d do for a headache in another scenario; unfortunately there’s not anything extra special that you can do to feel better,” says Dr. Colman. “Lifestyle factors are super important, and if you want one trick I would say chicken soup is always a good idea — it’s hydrating, has nutrients and electrolytes, and is comforting.”

Focus on these lifestyle habits to help with a COVID-19 and “long COVID” headaches:

• Take over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help with pain during the acute infection period. “At the beginning of COVID they were saying not to take certain pain relievers, but that’s old news, so take what helps your headache and/or your other symptoms,” says Dr. Shafqat.
• Stay hydrated. When you don’t get enough fluids, tissues and your brain contract, which puts pressure on nerves that can trigger a headache.
• Don’t skip meals. Even if you don’t feel like eating, it’s important to in order to prevent blood sugar changes that may lead to a headache. Try easy-to-consume foods that you can pack nutrition in, such as smoothies, soups or stews, oatmeal, eggs and toast.
• Focus on sleep. Once you’ve recovered from COVID, try your best to get back to your regular sleep-wake schedule. “I know it can be hard to sleep when you have a headache, but try your best to get seven to eight hours,” Dr. Shafqat says. This can also help combat fatigue, another common “long Covid” symptom.
• Try to tame stress, which can be a headache trigger.
• Once you feel better, do light physical activity like walking. “It can be hard to consider going back to the type of exercise you used to do, but just start slow and build back up,” Dr. Colman says.
• If you know something about our environment is triggering your headache or making it worse — such as certain lights, sounds or smells — “taking yourself out of that environment is a good first step to help terminate that headache,” Dr. Gut says.
• Stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations. “This is still one of the best things you can do to help prevent “long COVID” symptoms,” says Dr. Gut. “The bivalent vaccine has been good at this.”

When to see a doctor for a COVID-19 headache:

If you have “the most horrifying headache of your life,” seek medical attention immediately because it could potentially signal something life-threatening like a brain bleed, says Dr. Gut. And always head to the ER if you experience a headache accompanied by stiff neck, decreased level of consciousness, seizure or severe light sensitivity, says Dr. Colman, as these can be signs of COVID-related meningitis or encephalitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain, caused by infection).

In general, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor anytime headaches interfere with your daily life or become frequent enough for you to be taking OTC pain relievers on a regular basis — they can help you figure out medications that may help you get relief, or pinpoint underlying issues that could be contributing.

Alyssa Jung

Senior Editor

Alyssa is a senior editor for the Hearst Health Newsroom, where she has written research-backed health content for Prevention, Good Housekeeping and Woman’s Day since 2017. She has more than 13 years of reporting and editing experience and previously worked as research chief at Reader’s Digest, where she was responsible for the website’s health vertical as well as editing health content for the print magazine. She has also written for Chowhound, HealthiNation.com, Huffington Post and more.

Medicines for headaches | healthdirect

If you have a sudden and severe headache or if you have headache with other symptoms that concern you, call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance.

Key facts

• Most headaches are not serious and can be managed at home.
• Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, and can be treated with over-the-counter medicines such as paracetamol and ibuprofen.
• Migraines can be treated with prescription pain relieving medicine, anti-nausea medicines and special medicines for migraines called triptans.
• Read the label carefully or ask your pharmacist to make sure over-the-counter medicines are right for you.
• You should see your doctor if you have recurrent headaches, or you are concerned about other symptoms that accompany your headaches.

What types of headaches are there?

Most people have headaches occasionally. They can happen without any obvious cause, or they may be caused by a health problem.

The most common type of headache is a tension-type headache, which causes:

• mild to moderate head pain that affects part of, or the whole of your head
• steady pain that feels like a dull tightness or band
• pain that lasts briefly, or for up to a few days

Other types of headaches are cluster headaches and migraines.

Learn more about other types of headaches, their management and treatment.

What types of medicine are used for headaches?

Tension headaches

The main medicines for tension headaches are simple pain relieving medicines. These include paracetamol, aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. You can buy these medicines at your local supermarket or pharmacy, but it’s best to check with your pharmacist if you need to take them more than occasionally.

Codeine and morphine are not generally recommended for tension headaches. If your doctor recommends a medicine containing codeine, you will need a prescription.

Frequent tension headaches

If you have frequent headaches, your doctor may suggest medicines to prevent them. This might include a very low dose of an antidepressant (much lower than you would take to treat depression). There may be side effects including dry mouth, dizziness, blurred vision, drowsiness, constipation and weight gain.

Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches are a rare type of headache, affecting only about 1 in 1000 people.

Learn more about cluster headaches.

Cluster headaches do not usually respond to treatment with simple pain relieving medicines. A specialist neurologist can give you more advice and information about treating and preventing cluster headaches.

Migraines

If you have migraines, there are medicines that can help.

These include:

• pain relieving medicines
• anti-nausea medicines
• triptans — special migraine medicines that contract (tighten) blood vessels in your head

There are also medicines to prevent migraines including beta-blockers and amitriptyline.

Medicine safety

If you take pain relieving medicines, it is important that you understand how to use them safely. For instance, you may already be taking pain relieving medicines in your cough and cold remedies or medicines for arthritis, or other conditions. It’s important not to take more than the recommended daily amount as this can lead to serious side effects.

Read the label carefully, or check with your doctor or pharmacist, so you don’t accidentally take more than you should.

Medication overuse headache

Frequent (daily or almost daily) use of pain relieving medicines can lead to a condition known as ‘medication overuse headache’. In this condition, your headaches stop responding to the medicine, and can get worse. This is known as the ‘vicious cycle’ of headache medicines. The risk of developing this condition is higher if you use pain relievers that contain codeine or caffeine more than 10 days per month.

If you have regular headaches that no longer respond to your usual medicines, speak to your doctor. Your doctor may refer you to a specialist for treatment.

When should I see my doctor?

If you have a lot of headaches see your doctor. You should also see your doctor if you have a severe headache, or a headache accompanied by symptoms such as:

• fever
• neck stiffness
• confusion
• memory or behaviour changes
• vision changes
• unexplained vomiting

You should also see your doctor if you think you may have migraines. Your doctor can help you understand if you have a simple headache or a migraine. If your doctor diagnoses migraine, they will help find ways to reduce their frequency. Some people may also benefit from long-term medicines to prevent migraines.

If you are worried about taking medicines for your headache, ask your doctor or pharmacist about:

• the benefits of medicine for headache
• the risks of different types of medicine for headache

Your doctor or pharmacist will help you decide which medicines are suitable.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR — Preparing for an appointment? Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist.

healthdirect’s medicines section allows you to search for medicines by brand name or active ingredient. It provides useful information about medicines such as their use, whether they are available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and product recalls.

Resources and Support

• If you are concerned about the effects of your medicine, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or other health practitioner, or call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 at any time to speak to a registered nurse (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria).
• You can find out more about your medicine by reading the Consumer Medicine Information (CMI)
• Call 1300 MEDICINE (1300 633 424) to speak with a pharmacist who can answer your questions about medicines.

NPS Medicinewise offers advice on:

• managing migraines
• headaches and how to treat them
• medicines for short-term pain
• codeine-containing medicines

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Don’t drink, it won’t go away: when you don’t need to get rid of a headache

09/01/2022 at 11:37

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Who among us does not sometimes have a headache? She can catch you at the most inopportune moment: at a concert of your favorite artist, early in the morning before the start of the working day, or on the day of an important celebration.

Pain medication only relieves the symptom, it does not cure. Photo: Pexels

Some do not even pay attention to her and continue to do their usual things: go to work, study, play sports or household chores. Others immediately drink painkillers in order not to endure an unpleasant symptom, and still others experience terrible migraines, because of which they cannot look at bright lights, get annoyed at loud sounds and dream of getting rid of this scourge forever. Do you really need to get rid of a headache? What if it is a symptom of a very dangerous disease and, by drowning it out, a person can detect the disease very late? “MK in St. Petersburg” decided to sort out this issue with experts.

“I became addicted to painkillers”

A year ago, Marina noticed that she began to take painkillers very often. If not every day, then every other day for sure. Moreover, there were days when the head began to hurt in the morning. The girl decided to go to the doctor.

“The neurologist immediately found out that I have a very hectic job. Constant processing, irregular schedule, plus eternal stress. She advised me to start a headache diary and write down exactly when my head hurts and what I do about it. As a result, we found out that I drink so many painkillers that my head already hurts from them, ” – says Marina.

The treatment seemed very unusual to the girl. The doctor, among other things, prescribed antidepressants. It turned out that they are just treating such an addiction to painkillers, against which Marina experienced constant headaches.

“Also, the neurologist immediately told me that it would be nice to change jobs, because such a schedule would simply not allow me to recover. I didn’t come to this right away, but I can say that the change of job and the prescribed therapy helped me, ” – says Marina.

The girl finds it very useful to keep a headache diary. In addition, she realized that it is impossible to overdo it with painkillers, now she tries to drink them infrequently, only if her head hurts very badly.

“The problem is in the neck”

Victoria has recently started experiencing severe headaches. She just didn’t notice it before. Only painkillers helped relieve the pain.

“I almost never took painkillers, but here I had to. But what exactly is the problem, I know – in the first vertebrae of the cervical region. I made an appointment with two specialists at once – a traumatologist and a chiropractor”, – says Victoria.

The girl had a problem with the cervical region before, but Vika did not experience much discomfort because of this. She now feels a throbbing headache that radiates from the base of her skull to her temples.

“I know that if your head hurts, it’s not always in your head. And here it is very important to come to a good specialist in order to understand what exactly is wrong. My friend suffered from pain for 15 years. She was treated, examined, and in the end it turned out to be a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract. When the gastrointestinal tract was cured, the headaches also disappeared”, – adds Victoria.

What are the types of headaches?

Medical professionals divide headache into primary and secondary. Primary headache appears due to the influence of some factors, when a person has no health problems, but his head still hurts. The primary ones include tension headache and migraine. And a secondary headache appears when a person has some other condition or disease, in which the head can just hurt.

“Secondary headache is a manifestation of some other process. It can be a brain tumor, diabetes, heart failure. That is, a disease that does not have a headache as its main symptom, it, in fact, is the result of some kind of effect on the body, ”, says Pavel Dynin, a neurologist at a multidisciplinary medical center, candidate of medical sciences.

Each of us has experienced a headache at least once. It is not necessarily the result of a serious illness. You can feel it from overwork or the morning after a good holiday.

“Painkillers only relieve headaches. To have a therapeutic effect, you need to establish the cause of the headache. In fact, it is not always a symptom of some disease. For example, if a person has not slept enough, the next day he may feel a diffuse headache. And who has not experienced a headache if there was a holiday the day before? In this case, we are not talking about a disease, but about intoxication of the body, which is manifested, among other things, by a headache. And in this situation, we either drink more water, sleep, rest – and the headache goes away by itself, or we can take an anesthetic pill and remove this symptom, ” – says a neurologist, candidate of medical sciences, chief physician of the neurological clinic, researcher at the Department of Neurology, St. Academician I.  P. Pavlova Olga Rodionova.

Here we are talking about a situational story, when a person understands why he is experiencing a headache. In this case, if the ailment is relieved by sleep and rest, according to doctors, it makes no sense to immediately run to the doctor with this problem.

“It happens that the head hurts because of an uncomfortable position of the body or problems with the neck. For example, a person flew for a long time in an airplane. He felt uncomfortable anyway. Plus pressure drop. If special orthopedic pillows are not used, then a person may fall asleep in an uncomfortable position, which will lead to a headache due to the tension of the pericranial muscles (muscles of the head, face and neck). This is called cervicocranialgia, a pain in the head caused by problems with the neck. It is clear that in this case we are talking about a person who does not have any clear concomitant diseases,” – adds Pavel Dynin.

Working in an uncomfortable position can come back to haunt you with a headache. Photo: Pexels

But if a person does not understand why he has pain, this is a reason to turn to a neurologist. For example, if, with a little fatigue, your head starts to hurt or it “buzzes” for several days in a row. Here, doctors advise paying attention to concomitant diseases, sometimes they can cause a headache. You need to go to an appointment with a therapist, and he will decide which specialized doctor to refer the patient to.

“It makes sense to go to a specialized specialist first. Not to a neurologist, but, say, to an endocrinologist, if a person has diabetes and has a headache, pain can be a characteristic symptom for destabilizing blood glucose numbers. And then, if the endocrinologist shrugged his shoulders, since everything is normal, the patient can go to another specialist, ”, says Pavel Dynin.

When is it dangerous to treat a headache?

It would seem that it could be terrible that you drank one painkiller tablet. And then another one. Why put up with a headache when you can take it away? But it is very important not to overdo it with pills.

“If you have headaches very often and just take painkillers, you can really hurt yourself, because you will simply remove the symptom, and not remove the cause of this pain. And it can be a sign of quite formidable diseases, including a volumetric formation in the brain. Therefore, if the headache becomes more frequent, it has become daily – this is a reason to consult a doctor, and not just take painkillers, ” says Olga Rodionova.

Pavel Dynin adds: when pain appears, the body says that something is wrong. It can give general symptoms (headaches belong to them) or local ones. But there is a risk of not seeing the second ones due to the fact that we drowned them out with an anti-inflammatory or pain medication.

“Headache can be a symptom of various systemic adverse conditions. In particular, general weakness, headache can be characteristic in some cases of terminal, dangerous conditions, such as erosive gastritis or gastroduodenitis with a risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. And non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are used for headaches, can provoke, increase the risk of such pathological conditions, so you also need to be careful in terms of treatment, “ — the expert explains.

Neurologist Olga Rodionova says that, of course, painkillers are a boon that the pharmacological industry has given us, but they have certain side effects that patients should be aware of. It is also important to understand that if a headache is a symptom of some disease, then by drowning it out with drugs, a person delays the moment of making the correct diagnosis.

“For example, if a headache is a symptom of sinusitis, and the patient is simply taking painkillers, the infectious process in the sinuses can spread and lead to more serious infectious consequences”, – says Olga Rodionova.

“It is better not to self-medicate”

One headache pill taken is unlikely to harm anyone. But, if you start taking them on a regular basis, this can lead to the fact that the head will hurt directly due to the frequent use of these drugs.

“There is such a thing as overuse headache, it is a headache that arose against the background of long-term treatment with certain drugs. In particular, there is just such a category of patients who take painkillers for months. Any medicine has a period of administration, which is either regulated in the instructions or determined by the attending physician. It is better not to engage in self-medication on an ongoing basis, “ – says Pavel Dynin.

“It is a very common situation when a patient with a migraine attack starts taking painkillers, they do not help, he drinks more and more. As a result, this leads to the fact that he takes medication every day, which is fraught with huge complications. When taking painkillers for more than 15, and sometimes more than 10 days per month (depending on the drug), for a quarter, the patient develops drug-induced headache caused by drug abuse. And it is often much more difficult to treat than a migraine or tension headache, – adds Olga Rodionova.

The expert reminds that painkillers can have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract, cause allergic reactions, and also affect blood clotting. It is simply impossible to use medicines of any class without limit. If a headache bothers you often, it is best to come to a specialist, understand its causes and start the right therapy.

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Headache Clinic in Volgograd

Almost all people have experienced a headache at least once in their lives. But if for someone this is a rare occurrence, then for some it is a significant problem and torment. Most often, a person is simply trying to “drown out” the pain with medicines. But such a reaction is a signal from the body that something is wrong. And the problem must be solved, not hidden.

Headache is one of the most frequent visits to the doctor. It can be a symptom not only of pathological processes localized in the head area, but also a leading manifestation of many somatic and psychogenic diseases.

There are many methods and options for the treatment of headaches in our time. And what works best for one person may not work for another. Therefore, the need for treatment in one way or another is determined by the doctor.

Headache treatment methods in our clinic

Medical treatment

All medicines are selected by the doctor individually

More details

Physiotherapy

MLS M6 laser therapy or BTL SIS magnetotherapy

More details 900 05

Acupuncture

After a course of acupuncture, as a rule, not only headaches disappear but also improves the general condition of the body

More details

Botulinum therapy

The introduction of the drug relieves spasm and thereby relieves headache

Read more

Massage or psychiatry

Can be used as an additional method. After all, sometimes headaches can be the cause of stress or overwork

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What types of headaches do we deal with?

✓ Episodic tension headache
✓ Chronic tension headache
✓ Episodic migraine
✓ Chronic migraine
✓ Cluster headache
✓ Cervicogenic headache
✓ Headache due to infections
✓ Post-traumatic headache
✓ Headache associated with increased intracranial pressure
✓ Headache associated with trigeminal nerve involvement

Additional diagnostics

Most cases to determine the exact cause of the headache or to exclude a number of pathologies, the doctor may recommend additional diagnostics.