Go to the ER

While many types of headaches can be addressed with a visit to your primary care physician or neurologist, there are some symptoms that should always warrant a trip to the emergency room for immediate attention. If any of the following apply, stop reading and head out the door:

● You are having the worst headache or migraine attack ever
● A child is having recurring headaches
● Your headache is accompanied by unresolved loss of vision, loss of consciousness or uncontrollable vomiting
● Your headache pain lasts for more than 72 hours with less than a solid four-hour, pain-free window while awake
● You experience a headache or migraine attack that presents abnormal, frightening symptoms.

Headaches in Children

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says that two out of every three children will experience a headache by the age of 15. While most headaches in children are primary headaches, you should consult your child’s pediatrician if headaches are frequent or severe or if they include unusual symptoms. Among these symptoms, parents should be on the lookout for headaches that are accompanied by:

● Severity to the point where it wakes the child from sleep
● Early-morning vomiting without nausea
● Headaches that increase in frequency or severity
● Personality changes
● Headaches that are markedly different from previous headaches
● Headaches with fever or a stiff neck
● Headaches that follow an injury
● Complaints that this headache is the most severe that the child has ever had

Whether it's you or your child experiencing the misery of headaches, learn the symptoms that could save a life.