Eight headaches not to ignore

by Metropol | December 10, 2025 8:30 am

When is a headache more than just a headache? While all of us know the feeling of a sore head from too little water or sleep, or too much alcohol and stress, other headaches signal a deeper problem.

Back in 7000 BC, it was believed that demons and evil spirits were the cause of headaches, and the only treatment was trepanation – a surgical procedure in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the skull. One of the oldest surgical practices, with evidence dating back to the Neolithic period, trepanation has been used throughout history. In modern medicine, a similar procedure to access the brain is called a craniotomy. However, while most headaches are tension-type headaches caused by dehydration, lack of sleep, hormonal changes, and tension, here are eight signs that your headaches may require a doctor’s appointment to rule out a more serious cause, according to a report by Harvard Health Publishing called Headache: When to worry, what to do.

Headaches that first develop after age 50: The development of a new headache in people aged 50 and over could be a red flag. These headaches could be a result of an underlying medical condition.
A major change in the pattern of your headaches: Changes in the symptoms or pattern of your headaches may indicate the presence of complications. Changes may include where it hurts, how it hurts, and if it’s associated with other neurological or systemic symptoms.
Unusually severe headache: Also known as a thunderclap headache, these types of headaches come on very suddenly. While rare, it is important to seek immediate medical attention, if you have a headache accompanied by numbness, weakness, speech problems, and/or a change in vision.
Head pain that increases with coughing or movement: Cough headaches are triggered by coughing and other types of straining. This can include sneezing, nose blowing, laughing, crying, singing, bending over or a bowel movement. There are two types of cough headaches, primary and secondary – the short-lived primary type is usually harmless, but the persistent secondary type can be caused by problems with the brain and should be evaluated by a health care provider.
Headaches that get steadily worse: Many healthcare providers use brain imaging studies for the diagnosis of worsening headaches. These may include CT scans and MRIs.
Headaches that come with fever, stiff neck, confusion, decreased alertness or memory, or neurological symptoms such as visual disturbances, slurred speech, weakness, numbness, or seizures.
Headaches that are accompanied by a painful red eye, or pain and tenderness near the temples. Otherwise known as a cluster headache, a rare and severe type of headache, symptoms include extreme sharp stabbing pain, usually behind or around one eye, or pain on one side of the head.
Headaches that come on abruptly, especially if they wake you up. Hypnic headaches wake you up from sleep and occur at the same time several nights of the week. Symptoms include a dull, throbbing, pulsating, stabbing pain.

To prevent common headaches, prioritise sleep and a healthy, colourful diet, alongside regular water intake and exercise, and effective stress management.

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