Brain & Spine · 12 min read
Headaches vs migraines: how to tell the difference
Most headaches are harmless. A few are not. Here is how our neurologists separate the everyday from the urgent — and the warning signs that mean you should be seen today.
Nearly everyone gets headaches, and the vast majority need nothing more than rest, water and time. What matters clinically is recognising the small number that signal something else.
A tension headache typically feels like a band of pressure on both sides of the head, builds slowly, and eases with rest. A migraine is usually one-sided, throbbing, and often comes with nausea, or sensitivity to light and sound. Many people also notice warning signs — visual flickers, unusual tiredness — in the hours before one begins.
Certain patterns should always be assessed the same day: a headache that arrives suddenly and severely, one that follows a head injury, one accompanied by fever, confusion, weakness or difficulty speaking, or a headache that is clearly different from any you have had before.
If headaches are frequent enough to interfere with work, sleep or family life, that alone is reason enough to see a neurologist. Keeping a simple diary — when they start, how long they last, what you had eaten or how you had slept — makes the first consultation far more productive.
This article is general information, not medical advice for your individual case. If something here sounds like your situation, book a consultation and we will look at it properly.