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Home Treatment
Most of the time headaches get better or go away with home treatment and do not require a visit to a doctor. Home treatment for headaches can often help reduce the severity of pain and the length of time the pain is present. Home treatment may also relieve other symptoms, such as fever, nausea or vomiting, anxiety, or muscle aches. Start home treatment as soon as you can. Be sure to review the home treatment information for any other symptoms you may have.
If your doctor has prescribed a specific treatment for your headaches, begin treatment as soon as a headache starts. Be sure to follow his or her instructions when taking any prescription medicine for your headache.
For mild pain without other symptoms, try the following:
- Rest in a quiet, dark room.
- Place a cool compress on your forehead.
- Do not smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs.
| Try a nonprescription medicine to help treat your fever or pain: |
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| Be sure to follow these safety tips when you use a nonprescription medicine: |
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You may be able to reduce the frequency and severity of your headaches by trying:
- Relaxation exercises. These exercises can help take away tension and stress that cause headaches or make them worse. For more information, see the topic Stress Management.
- Heat, such as hot water bottles, heating pads, or hot baths, to relax tense muscles. Be careful not to burn yourself.
- Ice, such as an ice pack applied to the back or the neck or the temples.
- Massage therapy and biofeedback, which can reduce muscle tension, especially in your neck and shoulder muscles. This muscle tension can cause headaches or make them worse. For more information, see the topic Complementary Medicine.
When your child has headaches:
- Talk to your child. Let him or her know you care. Extra attention and quiet time may be all that is needed to relieve the pain.
- If your child's doctor has prescribed a specific treatment for his or her headaches, begin treatment as soon as your child complains of the pain.
- Let your child rest quietly in a darkened room with a cool compress on his or her forehead.
- If your child's headache pain is mild, encourage him or her to go on with normal activities.
- Do not allow your child to avoid chores or other activities unless his or her headache pain is moderate to severe.
| Try a nonprescription medicine to help treat your child's headache: |
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Talk to your child’s doctor before switching back and forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen to treat a fever. When you switch between two medicines, there is a chance your child will get too much medicine. |
| Be sure to follow these safety tips when you use a nonprescription medicine: |
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Symptoms to Watch For During Home Treatment
Use the Check Your Symptoms section to evaluate your symptoms if any of the following occur during home treatment.
- Pain increases or lasts for longer than 12 hours despite the use of home treatment.
- New symptomsdevelop.
- Symptoms become more severe or frequent.
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| Last updated: | July 12, 2006 |
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| Author: | Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC |
| Reviewed By: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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