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Symptoms overview
Headaches that occur suddenly (acute-onset) are usually due to an illness, infection, cold, or fever. Although headaches are rarely the symptoms of a serious illness, occasionally they may indicate a serious medical condition such as a tumor or aneurysm (blood vessel rupture). It is important to become familiar with your personal headache symptoms, so that you can judge which headaches require immediate medical attention.
Seek medical care immediately if you or your child has any of these headache symptoms:
A sudden, new, severe headache
A headache that is associated with neurological symptoms such as weakness, dizziness, sudden loss of balance or falling, numbness or tingling, paralysis, speech difficulties, mental confusion, seizures, personality changes/inappropriate behavior, or vision changes (blurry vision, double vision, or blind spots)
Headache with a fever, shortness of breath, stiff neck, or rash
Headache pain that awakens you at night
Headaches with severe nausea and vomiting
Headaches that occur after a head injury or accident
A new type of headache after age 55
Contact your healthcare provider if you or your child has any of the following symptoms:
Three or more headaches per week
Headaches that keep getting worse and won't go away
Need more than two or three doses of over-the-counter medications per week to relieve headache symptoms, or a dose higher than the recommended amount of those medications
Headaches that are triggered by exertion, coughing, bending, or strenuous activity
A history of headaches, with a recent change in your headache symptoms
This section contains more information on the symptoms of:
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