Definition

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Headache is pain in any region of the head. Headaches may occur on one or both sides of the head, be isolated to a certain location, radiate across the head from one point, or have a viselike quality.

A headache may appear as a sharp pain, a throbbing sensation or a dull ache. Headaches can develop gradually or suddenly, and may last from less than an hour to several days.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

We use the data you provide to deliver you the content you requested. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, we may combine your email and website data with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices. You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email.

June 03, 2020

See also

  1. ​Grade 4 brain cancer: what to expect, treatment options and support
  2. Acromegaly
  3. Acute sinusitis
  4. Acute sinusitis: Do over-the-counter treatments help?
  5. Alcohol intolerance
  6. Amenorrhea
  7. Anemia
  8. Aneurysms
  9. Antidepressants and alcohol: What's the concern?
  10. Antidepressants and weight gain: What causes it?
  11. Antidepressants for children and teens
  12. Antidepressants: Can they stop working?
  13. Antidepressants: Get tips to cope with side effects
  14. Antidepressants: Selecting one that's right for you
  15. Antidepressants: Which cause the fewest sexual side effects?
  16. Aplastic anemia
  17. Aspergillosis
  18. Astigmatism
  19. Astrocytoma
  20. Atypical antidepressants
  21. Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT)
  22. Bee sting
  23. Behcet disease
  24. Bell's palsy
  25. Brain aneurysm
  26. Brain AVM (arteriovenous malformation)
  27. Brain tumor
  28. Brain tumor FAQs
  29. Brainstem tumor
  30. Bump on the head: When is it a serious head injury?
  31. Carbon monoxide poisoning
  32. Carotid artery disease
  33. Central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma
  34. Central sleep apnea
  35. Chagas disease
  36. Chiari malformation
  37. Child abuse
  38. Chordoma
  39. Chronic sinusitis
  40. Clinical depression: What does that mean?
  41. Coarctation of the aorta
  42. Cold and flu viruses: How long can they live outside the body?
  43. Cold or allergy: Which is it?
  44. Cold remedies: What works, what doesn't, what can't hurt
  45. Cold sore
  46. Cold symptoms: Does drinking milk increase phlegm?
  47. Common cold
  48. Concussion
  49. Concussion in children: What are the symptoms?
  50. Concussion Recovery
  51. Concussion Telemedicine
  52. Cough headaches
  53. CPAP machines: Tips for avoiding 10 common problems
  54. Craniopharyngioma
  55. Craving and chewing ice: A sign of anemia?
  56. CSF leak (Cerebrospinal fluid leak)
  57. Cushing syndrome
  58. Dehydration
  59. Delusional parasitosis
  60. Dengue fever
  61. Depression (major depressive disorder)
  62. Depression and anxiety: Can I have both?
  63. Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms
  64. Depression in women: Understanding the gender gap
  65. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  66. Diffuse midline glioma (DMG)
  67. Ear infection (middle ear)
  68. Early HIV symptoms: What are they?
  69. Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis
  70. Eisenmenger syndrome
  71. Embolic stroke (brain embolism)
  72. Encephalitis
  73. Eyestrain
  74. Farsightedness
  75. Fever
  76. Fever treatment: Quick guide to treating a fever
  77. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  78. Fibromyalgia
  79. Flu masks
  80. Flu shot: Your best bet for avoiding influenza
  81. Flu vaccine: Safe for people with egg allergy?
  82. Galactorrhea
  83. Ganglioglioma
  84. Genital herpes
  85. Genital herpes: Can you get it from a toilet seat?
  86. Giant cell arteritis
  87. Glioblastoma
  88. Glioma
  89. Glioma vs. glioblastoma: What's the difference?
  90. H1N1 flu (swine flu)
  91. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
  92. Headaches in children
  93. Headaches: Reduce stress to prevent the pain
  94. Heat exhaustion
  95. Heatstroke
  96. Hemangioblastoma
  97. Hemophilia
  98. He's the bravest kid I've ever seen
  99. High-dose flu vaccines: How are they different from other flu vaccines?
  100. Histoplasmosis
  101. HIV/AIDS
  102. Humidifiers: Ease skin, breathing symptoms
  103. Hyperparathyroidism
  104. Hyponatremia
  105. Hypoparathyroidism
  106. Impacted wisdom teeth
  107. Influenza (flu)
  108. Infographic: Lung Cancer
  109. Intermittent explosive disorder
  110. Intracranial hematoma
  111. Iron deficiency anemia
  112. Jellyfish stings
  113. Lead poisoning
  114. Listeria infection
  115. Living with Brain Tumors
  116. Living with Lupus
  117. Long Term Brain Cancer Survivor
  118. Low blood sodium in older adults: A concern?
  119. Lung cancer
  120. Lupus
  121. Lyme disease
  122. Malaria
  123. Male depression: Understanding the issues
  124. Managing Meningitis
  125. MAOIs and diet: Is it necessary to restrict tyramine?
  126. Marathon and the Heat
  127. Marijuana and depression: What's the link?
  128. Mayo Clinic Minute: Arteriovenous malformation or AVM
  129. Mayo Clinic Minute: Meningitis 101 for college students
  130. Mayo Clinic Minute: Prevent migraines with magnetic stimulation
  131. Mayo Clinic Minute: Weathering migraines
  132. Mayo Clinic Minute: What is an aneurysm?
  133. Mayo Clinic Minute: Why getting vaccinated for the flu is doubly important this season
  134. Mayo Clinic Minute: Will there be a Lyme disease vaccine for humans?
  135. Meningioma
  136. Meningitis
  137. Mental health providers: Tips on finding one
  138. Mental health: Overcoming the stigma of mental illness
  139. Mental illness
  140. Migraine
  141. Migraine FAQs
  142. Migraine medications and antidepressants: A risky mix?
  143. Migraine treatment: Can antidepressants help?
  144. Migraines and gastrointestinal problems: Is there a link?
  145. Migraines and Vertigo
  146. Migraines: Are they triggered by weather changes?
  147. Migraines: Simple steps to head off the pain
  148. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
  149. Mononucleosis
  150. Mononucleosis: Can it recur?
  151. Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD)
  152. Myocarditis
  153. Nasal polyps
  154. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
  155. Natural remedies for depression: Are they effective?
  156. Nearsightedness
  157. Neti pot: Can it clear my nose?
  158. New Test for Preeclampsia
  159. New Way to Fix Aneurysms
  160. NF2-related schwannomatosis (neurofibromatosis type 2)
  161. Nighttime panic attacks: What causes them?
  162. Obstructive sleep apnea
  163. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  164. Obstructive sleep apnea: What happens?
  165. Occipital nerve stimulation: Effective migraine treatment?
  166. Ocular migraine: When to seek help
  167. Oligodendroglioma
  168. Paget's disease of bone
  169. Pain and depression: Is there a link?
  170. Parvovirus infection
  171. Persistent post-concussive symptoms (Post-concussion syndrome)
  172. Petroleum jelly: Safe for a dry nose?
  173. Pheochromocytoma
  174. Pineal gland tumor
  175. Pituitary tumors and adenomas
  176. Plague
  177. Pneumonia
  178. Polio
  179. Polycystic kidney disease
  180. Polycythemia vera
  181. Polymorphous light eruption
  182. Postpartum preeclampsia
  183. Preeclampsia
  184. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
  185. Presbyopia
  186. Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma
  187. Prolactinoma
  188. Pseudotumor cerebri (idiopathic intracranial hypertension)
  189. Pulmonary edema
  190. Punk Guitarist Survives Brain Tumor
  191. Rabies
  192. Radiation sickness
  193. Recurrent breast cancer
  194. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
  195. Rhabdomyolysis
  196. Rubella
  197. Salmonella infection
  198. Scarlet fever
  199. Schwannomatosis
  200. Self-care for the flu
  201. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
  202. Serotonin syndrome
  203. Shingles
  204. Shingles and alcohol
  205. Shingles vaccine: Can I transmit the vaccine virus to others?
  206. Shingles vaccine: Should I get it?
  207. Sinus infection and toothache: Any connection?
  208. Skull base tumors
  209. Sleep apnea
  210. Smallpox
  211. Staph infections
  212. Strep throat
  213. Stroke
  214. Stroke rehabilitation: What to expect as you recover
  215. Strokes FAQ Neurologist Robert D. Brown, Jr. M.D., M.P.H., answers the most frequently asked questions about strokes.
  216. Sun damage
  217. Super Survivor Conquers Cancer
  218. Takayasu's arteritis
  219. Teen depression
  220. Teeth grinding (bruxism)
  221. Tension headache
  222. Tension-type headaches: Self-care measures for relief
  223. Thermometers: Understand the options
  224. Thrombocytosis
  225. Thunderclap headaches
  226. TMJ disorders
  227. Tonsillitis
  228. Toxic shock syndrome
  229. Traumatic brain injury
  230. Treatment of parathyroid disease at Mayo Clinic
  231. Treatment-resistant depression
  232. Trichinosis
  233. Typhoid fever
  234. Valley fever
  235. Video: 3 things you didn't know about cold sores
  236. Vitamin B-12 and depression: Are they related?
  237. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
  238. Walking pneumonia
  239. What is a brain tumor? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  240. What is a migraine? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  241. What is a stroke? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  242. What is depression? A Mayo Clinic expert explains.
  243. What's the difference between H1N1 flu and influenza A?
  244. Which CPAP masks are best for you?
  245. Whiplash
  246. Wisdom teeth removal: When is it necessary?
  247. Zinc for colds: The final word?