Headaches are extremely common, but when one strikes, your immediate question is usually simple:
How can I make this headache go away?
There is no single treatment that works for every headache because headache is not one condition.
Migraine, tension-type headache, cluster headache, medication-overuse headache and headaches caused by other medical conditions require different approaches.
The World Health Organization describes headache disorders as some of the most common disorders of the nervous system.
Fortunately, many occasional headaches can be managed effectively, and recurring headache disorders have treatments that can significantly reduce their impact.
The key is knowing when simple self-care is appropriate—and when a headache needs professional medical attention.
Here are 14 evidence-informed ways to relieve headaches and reduce the likelihood of future attacks.
1. Identify What Type of Headache You Have
Before trying to prevent every possible headache, determine what you are actually experiencing.
Common headache disorders include:
- tension-type headache
- migraine
- cluster headache
- medication-overuse headache.
Their treatments can be very different.
For example, tension-type headache often causes a pressing or tightening sensation.
Migraine may cause throbbing pain, nausea and sensitivity to light or sound.
Cluster headache typically causes extremely severe one-sided pain around the eye, often accompanied by tearing, nasal symptoms and restlessness.
If you experience frequent headaches but have never received a diagnosis, professional assessment may be more valuable than continually trying different home remedies.
2. Drink Enough Fluids
Dehydration can contribute to headache in some people.
If you have not been drinking enough—particularly during hot weather, exercise, illness or prolonged activity—replacing fluids may help.
But the old advice that everyone should consume exactly 10–14 cups of water every day is too simplistic.
Fluid requirements vary according to factors such as:
- body size
- physical activity
- climate
- diet
- pregnancy
- illness
- medical conditions.
Drink regularly throughout the day and increase your attention to hydration when you are losing additional fluid through heat, exercise, fever, vomiting or diarrhoea.
People with heart, kidney or other conditions requiring fluid restriction should follow their healthcare professional's advice rather than deliberately increasing fluid intake.
3. Eat Regularly
Long gaps between meals can contribute to migraine attacks or headaches in susceptible people.
A consistent eating pattern may therefore help.
You do not necessarily need to eat constantly throughout the day.
Instead, try to avoid unexpectedly going for long periods without food if you know that skipped meals are associated with your headaches.
Choose a generally balanced diet containing nutritious foods such as:
- vegetables
- fruit
- whole grains
- legumes
- nuts and seeds where appropriate
- healthy sources of protein.
There is no single universal “headache diet.”
Avoid unnecessarily eliminating nutritious foods unless you have identified a convincing individual association or have been advised to do so for medical reasons.
4. Maintain a Consistent Sleep Routine
Both insufficient sleep and major changes in sleeping patterns can be associated with headache, particularly migraine.
Try to maintain reasonably consistent sleeping and waking times.
Healthy sleep habits include:
- maintaining a regular schedule
- creating a comfortable sleep environment
- limiting activities that repeatedly delay sleep
- allowing enough time for adequate sleep.
Sleeping substantially later than usual can also disrupt routines involving meals and caffeine.
This may partly explain why some people report so-called weekend headaches.
If you frequently wake with headaches and also experience loud snoring, pauses in breathing during sleep or significant daytime sleepiness, seek medical advice because a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnoea may need assessment.
5. Manage Stress
Stress is commonly associated with headaches and migraine attacks.
You cannot eliminate every stressful situation from life, and telling someone simply to “avoid stress” is rarely realistic.
Instead, develop ways of managing it.
Depending on your circumstances, helpful strategies might include:
- regular physical activity
- relaxation techniques
- breathing exercises
- mindfulness
- taking appropriate breaks
- counselling or psychological support
- enjoyable hobbies
- spending time with supportive people.
Some people notice headaches after a stressful period ends rather than during it.
Maintaining a reasonably consistent routine even after a demanding week may help if you notice this pattern.
6. Exercise Regularly
Regular physical activity has benefits for overall health and may help some people manage migraine and stress.
For general health, adults should aim to incorporate regular aerobic activity together with muscle-strengthening activities according to their abilities and health circumstances.
However, start gradually if you are not accustomed to exercise.
Sudden intense exercise can trigger headache in some people.
Stay appropriately hydrated and avoid unexpectedly exercising for long periods without eating if those factors affect you.
A new sudden severe headache during strenuous exercise requires medical assessment, particularly if it reaches maximum intensity very quickly.
7. Use Cold or Warm Therapy if It Helps You
A cold pack may provide temporary comfort during some headaches or migraine attacks.
Wrap a cold pack in cloth rather than applying extreme cold directly to your skin.
Some people instead prefer warmth, particularly when headache occurs alongside neck or shoulder muscle tension.
A warm shower or warm compress may feel relaxing.
The important distinction is that these are comfort measures.
There is not good reason to claim that a hot shower universally prevents headaches or that an ice pack will stop recurrent headache disorders.
Use whichever approach feels comfortable and safe for you.
8. Reduce Uncomfortable Light, Noise or Smells During Migraine
During a migraine attack, ordinary sensory stimulation can become extremely uncomfortable.
You may become sensitive to:
- bright light
- loud sound
- strong smells.
Resting temporarily in a quiet, comfortable and dimly lit environment can help reduce discomfort.
If screens worsen symptoms during an attack, taking a break may also help.
But remember that sensitivity to light, sound and smell can actually be symptoms of migraine, not necessarily the original cause of the attack.
You do not need to spend everyday life trying to avoid normal light and sound.
9. Take Appropriate Breaks From Screens
Long periods at a computer can be associated with eye strain, dry eyes, neck discomfort and headaches.
Screen-related discomfort may be influenced by:
- prolonged focusing
- poor posture
- glare
- inadequate breaks
- uncorrected vision problems
- dry eyes.
Take regular breaks from prolonged screen work.
Adjust your workstation so you are not repeatedly straining your neck or shoulders.
If you develop persistent headaches while reading or using screens, consider an eye examination—particularly if you have difficulty seeing clearly.
But don't automatically assume every headache after computer use is caused by your eyes.
Migraine and other headache disorders can occur while you happen to be working at a computer.
10. Be Consistent With Caffeine
Caffeine has a complicated relationship with headache.
For some people, caffeine can help relieve headache and is included in some headache medicines.
However, excessive caffeine intake can contribute to problems, and suddenly stopping regular caffeine consumption can cause withdrawal headaches.
This means consistency can be particularly important.
If you regularly consume large amounts of caffeine and want to reduce your intake, gradual reduction may be more comfortable than abruptly stopping.
Caffeine sources include:
- coffee
- tea
- energy drinks
- cola
- chocolate
- certain medicines.
Track your own response rather than assuming everyone with headaches needs to stop drinking coffee.
11. Limit Alcohol if It Contributes to Your Headaches
Alcohol can be associated with headaches in several ways.
It can contribute to:
- dehydration
- disrupted sleep
- hangover symptoms
- migraine attacks in susceptible people.
Individual responses vary.
If you repeatedly notice headaches after drinking alcohol, reducing or avoiding it may help.
You do not need to drink alcohol for health reasons, and drinking additional water does not guarantee that alcohol-related headaches will be prevented.
12. Use Pain Medicines Carefully
Over-the-counter pain medicines can be useful for some occasional headaches when they are medically appropriate for the individual.
Depending on the headache type and personal medical circumstances, options may include medicines such as:
- paracetamol/acetaminophen
- aspirin for appropriate adults
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen.
But these medicines are not appropriate for everyone.
For example, NSAIDs may be unsuitable for some people with:
- kidney disease
- stomach ulcers
- certain cardiovascular conditions
- particular medication interactions
- pregnancy-related circumstances.
Aspirin should not be given to children under 16 for headache treatment because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.
Always follow the medicine label and professional advice appropriate to your circumstances.
Do not exceed recommended doses.
13. Avoid Medication-Overuse Headache
This is one of the most important points for anyone experiencing frequent headaches.
Taking acute headache medicines too frequently can eventually make headaches more frequent rather than less frequent.
This is called medication-overuse headache.
According to current NICE guidance, healthcare professionals should consider medication-overuse headache when headaches develop or worsen after at least three months of using:
- triptans, opioids, ergots or combination analgesics on 10 or more days per month, or
- paracetamol/acetaminophen, aspirin or an NSAID on 15 or more days per month.
These figures are diagnostic warning thresholds, not targets for how much medication everyone can safely take.
Individual medicines carry their own risks and dosing instructions.
If you are regularly taking headache medicine several days each week, speak with a healthcare professional rather than simply increasing the amount.
You may need better treatment for the underlying headache disorder.
14. Keep a Headache Diary
Instead of trying to avoid dozens of supposed headache triggers, collect information about your own headaches.
A headache diary can record:
- date and time
- duration
- severity
- pain location
- associated symptoms
- sleep
- meals
- hydration
- caffeine
- alcohol
- menstruation where relevant
- medicines taken
- treatment response
- possible triggers.
NICE recommends headache diaries as a useful part of assessing recurrent headaches.
For diagnostic purposes, keeping one for at least several weeks can reveal patterns that are difficult to recognise from memory alone.
Bring your diary to healthcare appointments.
What About Massage?
Massage may help some people relax or temporarily reduce muscular tension and discomfort.
If you find gentle massage comfortable, there is generally no need to dismiss it.
Massage should not replace appropriate diagnosis or established migraine treatment.
It is better regarded as an optional relaxation or comfort strategy for people who find it helpful.
Do You Need to Avoid the Sun?
No.
Bright sunlight can be uncomfortable for people experiencing migraine-related light sensitivity, and heat can contribute to dehydration.
Practical measures on bright or hot days include:
- appropriate sunglasses outdoors
- shade when necessary
- suitable hydration
- avoiding excessive heat exposure.
But sunlight itself does not need to be universally avoided simply because someone experiences headaches.
What About Chewing Gum?
Some people with jaw problems may notice pain or headaches after prolonged chewing.
If chewing gum clearly aggravates jaw or facial pain, reducing it may be reasonable.
But chewing gum is not a major universal cause of headaches.
Persistent jaw pain, teeth grinding, clicking or difficulty opening the mouth may require dental or medical assessment for temporomandibular disorders or another cause.
When Lifestyle Changes Aren't Enough
Someone experiencing frequent migraine or another recurrent headache disorder should not be made to feel that they simply failed to drink enough water, sleep properly or control stress.
Headache disorders are genuine medical conditions.
Effective treatments are available.
For migraine, treatment can include medicines used during an attack and preventive treatments designed to reduce future attacks.
Depending on the patient and local availability, preventive treatment may involve:
- traditional preventive medicines
- CGRP-targeting medicines
- botulinum toxin type A for certain people with chronic migraine
- other appropriately selected treatments.
The best treatment depends on attack frequency, severity, medical history, pregnancy considerations, previous treatments and other individual factors.
Discuss these options with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
When Should You See a Healthcare Professional?
Arrange an assessment if:
- headaches occur frequently
- they are becoming more severe
- the pattern has substantially changed
- headaches regularly interfere with work, school or daily activities
- you frequently wake with headaches
- you need acute headache medicine regularly
- your current treatment is no longer working
- you are unsure what type of headache you have.
Recurring headaches deserve a proper diagnosis.
When Is a Headache an Emergency?
Most headaches are not emergencies.
However, some symptoms require urgent assessment.
Seek emergency medical care for:
- a sudden, extremely severe headache that reaches maximum intensity rapidly
- new weakness or paralysis
- new difficulty speaking or understanding speech
- loss of consciousness
- seizure
- severe confusion
- sudden significant vision loss
- severe headache with fever and marked neck stiffness
- headache after a significant head injury
- a severe new headache during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth.
A sudden severe headache triggered by strenuous exercise, coughing or sexual activity also warrants particular medical attention, especially when it is new.
Contact your local emergency medical service when symptoms suggest a serious neurological emergency.
The Bottom Line
The best way to treat a headache depends on what type of headache you have.
For occasional headaches, measures such as appropriate hydration, regular meals, adequate sleep, stress management, comfortable cold or warmth and appropriate use of pain medicines may help.
For migraine, maintaining regular routines and understanding your personal attack pattern can be useful.
But frequent or disabling headaches deserve professional diagnosis and treatment.
Most importantly, avoid falling into the cycle of taking increasing amounts of pain medication for increasingly frequent headaches.
Modern headache treatment is not simply about making today's pain disappear.
The goal is to reduce attacks, improve quality of life and treat the underlying headache disorder safely and effectively.
Medical Disclaimer
This article provides general educational information and is not a substitute for personalised medical diagnosis or treatment. Headache treatments are not appropriate for everyone, and medicine choices depend on age, medical conditions, pregnancy, other medicines and the type of headache. Seek urgent medical care for a sudden severe headache or headache accompanied by serious neurological symptoms.
Sources and Further Reading
World Health Organization — Migraine and Other Headache Disorders
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/headache-disorders
NICE — Headaches in Over 12s: Diagnosis and Management
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg150/chapter/Recommendations
American Migraine Foundation — Lifestyle Changes for Migraine Management
https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/lifestyle-changes-for-migraine/
American Migraine Foundation — Medication Overuse Headache
https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/medication-overuse-headache/
International Headache Society — International Classification of Headache Disorders
https://ichd-3.org/
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