When to See a Physician

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You have a headache emergency and should see your physician or go to the emergency room immediately if you are experiencing the following:

• severe headache with sudden onset
• headache pain that feels like an explosion or thunderclap
• severe headache that is clearly your worst-ever headache
• headache pain that is continuous and becoming worse
• headache pain that persists following an injury to the head
• headache accompanied by one or more of these symptoms
  • stiff neck
  • severe pain when bending over
  • confusion
  • convulsions
  • loss of consciousness
  • persistent, severe vomiting

Headache Emergency for Children

You have an urgent need to contact a physician if you observe recurring headaches in a child.

Schedule an Appointment

Make an appointment to see your physician if you are experiencing the following:

• more than three headaches per week
• daily, or almost daily, use of pain relievers for headache pain
• regular use of more than the recommended dose of nonprescription (over-the-counter) headache medications
• recent onset of headache pain after being headache-free in the past
• headaches beginning after the age of 50