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