Self-Care Pocket Guide • Headaches
Headaches

Overview

Headaches have a variety of causes. Most are merely inconveniences, but in rare instances headaches can be caused by life-threatening health conditions that require immediate medical attention. The self-care advice that follows, relates only to headaches that can be managed safely at home. These include stable, well-controlled migraines or headaches caused by tension, eye strain, sinus pressure, or minor bumps to your head.

Signs and Symptoms

Tension headaches

• Often associated with prolonged reading, computer work, backpack use, etc.
• Typically a dull ache in your forehead, neck, or temples.
• Pain, stiffness, or spasms in the muscles of your neck or upper body.
  Eye-strain headaches
• Often associated with prolonged reading, computer work, etc.
• Typically a dull headache in your forehead or an ache or pressure around your eyes.

Sinus headaches

• Often associated with allergy or cold symptoms.
• Pain in your forehead and tenderness and pain over your cheekbones and teeth that usually gets worse when you bend over.

Migraine headaches

Symptoms may differ from person to person, but an individual often has the same symptoms with each migraine.

• Pain, often affecting the same part of the head.
• May have an "aura" preceding the headache such as seeing white spots, flashing lights, or dark spots in your visual field; numbness in various parts of your body; or, less commonly, strange smells or tastes.
• Nausea and/or vomiting.
• Sensitivity to light, sounds, and/or smells.
• Can be precipitated by certain foods (chocolate, hot dogs, red wine), certain smells (perfumes, air fresheners), and/or sleep deprivation.

Self-Care Measures

Take an analgesic to manage pain. However, if you've had any injury to your head, take an analgesic with acetaminophen only. Other analgesics can thin your blood and worsen any bleeding that may occur in the brain.

Tension headaches

• Use a heating pad to apply heat to tense neck, and/or take a hot shower (not to exceed 20 minutes at a time).
• Rub your temples and the back of your head. Get a neck and shoulder massage.
• Manage your stress.
• Take frequent, short breaks when studying or working.
• Ensure that your computer/work station is ergonomically sound.

Eye-strain headaches

• Adequately light your studying/working area and eliminate computer screen glare.
• Look up from reading or computer work and focus on a distant object for several seconds every few minutes to relax internal eye muscles.
• Get an eye exam to see if you need corrective lenses or an update on your current prescription.

Sinus headaches

• Take an OTC decongestant or use an OTC decongestant nasal spray. Don't use decongestant sprays for more than 3 consecutive days. You may also use OTC saline nasal spray or drops without time limitations. To make them at home, dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of warm water. Sniff a couple of drops in each nostril.
• For recurrent sinus headaches use a humidifier to keep the air in your home moist, especially in your bedroom. Clean the humidifier frequently as instructed by the manufacturer.

Migraine headaches

• Avoid headache triggers, if known.
• Take OTC migraine medication, if appropriate.
• Use an ice pack.
• Massage the affected area.
• Sleep.

Red Flags

CALL THE UHS 24-HOUR NURSE ADVICE LINE 475-NURS (475-6877) IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING OCCURS:

• A headache that becomes "the worst headache of your life."
• Headache associated with fever and difficulty bending your neck.
• A severe, sudden, "thunderclap" headache, even if it lessens over time. This could indicate the impending rupture of a blood vessel in your brain.
• Headaches caused or made worse by straining or intense physical exertion like heavy lifting.
• Headaches that worsen in frequency and/or severity over time.
• Headaches that wake you at night or severe headaches upon getting out of bed in the morning.
• Headaches associated with visual changes and/or nausea/vomiting, unless you've been diagnosed with migraines and these symptoms are typical of your migraines.
• You have a history of migraines, but they become more frequent or the symptoms change or become more severe.
• Headaches associated with even minor head trauma if there has been any loss of consciousness, amnesia, confusion, nausea, blurred vision, weakness, or numbness in any part of the body—or any other lingering symptoms.
• A sinus headache not helped by self-care measures that you've had for more than 1 week.
• Migraines with an aura if you use any type of estrogen-containing birth control method.

CALL 911 OR GO DIRECTLY TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING OCCURS:

• Headaches associated with slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, weakness, or persistent numbness or tingling in any part of your body.
• Severe headache and fever with development of unusual dark spots (much like bruises) of any size on your skin. These can be a sign of meningococcal disease, which progresses rapidly, is potentially fatal, and needs immediate medical attention.
• Seizure-like activity (involuntary movements of any part of the body) or fainting.
• A sudden headache associated with loss of consciousness.