Headache for over a week: what to know

Persistent headache may reflect muscle tension, jaw clenching, migraine, poor sleep, eye strain, dehydration, or a medication effect. Congestion and pressure around the face can occur with Allergic Rhinitis or Chronic Sinusitis. A viral illness such as a Common Cold or COVID-19 may bring fever, fatigue, or respiratory symptoms. Heat Exhaustion can cause headache with weakness, sweating, nausea, or light-headedness.

A clinician will want to know whether this is a continuous ache or repeated attacks, where it is felt, and whether coughing, bending, movement, light, or sound changes it. A new pattern is more useful than the label alone when deciding what assessment is appropriate.

Keep meals, sleep, and hydration steady. Reduce glare, stretch your neck and shoulders gently, and take screen breaks. Avoid alcohol if it worsens the pain. Use only medicines suitable for you and follow their label; do not combine products with the same ingredient or rely on frequent doses without professional guidance.

Book a non-emergency appointment and take your headache record with you. Include recent infections, travel or heat exposure, injuries, blood-pressure concerns, medicines, caffeine changes, and any possibility of pregnancy.

Call emergency services for a sudden severe headache, new weakness, numbness, facial drooping, difficulty speaking, loss of vision, severe confusion, collapse, or seizure. Urgent assessment is also needed for headache with fever and a stiff neck, repeated vomiting, a serious head injury, or a rapidly worsening pattern. Do not wait for a routine appointment if these occur.

What features of my headache point toward migraine, tension, infection, sinus symptoms, or another cause? Do I need a blood-pressure check, eye assessment, or neurological examination? Which self-care options are appropriate for me, and when should I return if it persists?