Scenario #1:
You woke up early this morning. You had muesli and nutella toast before leaving the hostel. You went on the free walking tour to get yourself acquainted with the city. You made a few friends while on the tour and decided to head off with them for the rest of the day. You and your new friends spend the entire day exploring and cramming in as much as you could! You were having a blast, but soon your fun is interrupted. It’s getting close to dinner and your head starts hurting. You feel a tightness on both sides of your head. Frustrated you ask yourself, “why am I getting a headache?!” You realize you didn’t eat lunch and haven’t drank much water today. The last time you ate anything was at breakfast!
Scenaria #2:
You wake up at 10am with a pounding headache. You take a moment to orient yourself and then remember back to last night. It was an epic night of partying! The night began with social hour at the hostel, followed by a pub crawl and dancing at the club until the wee hours of the morning! Oh, what a night! It was certainly a night to remember, but this pounding headache has you questioning if it was worth it. It only takes an instant for you to say, “Of course, it was worth it! YOLO. No regrets!”
Scenaria #3:
Your epic six week European adventure is coming to a close. You’ve had the time of your life! You do not want to go home, but unfortunately you have to. Tonight you have to say good bye to the many new friends you made while on tour. The friends you feel like you have known forever, they’re practically family. The friends you fear you may never see again. Emotions are high. You can’t keep the tears back, so you let them flow! To top it all off, you have a flight to catch in the morning. You are stressed about getting to the airport and making all your connections. To make things even worse, you now have a headache!
Diagnosis: Headache
Headache is one of the most common medical complaints, so chances are you’ve had a headache, maybe even while traveling. Most headaches are benign or non-life threatening, so rest assured!
The two most common types of headache are tension-type headache and migraine headache.
- Tension-type headache is the most prevalent headache and likely what comes to mind when you think of headache. Tension headaches are often located on both sides of your head. Pain is described as tightness, pressure, dull, head fullness or band-like. It is gradual in onset with mild to moderate intensity. This headache is self-limited and lasts anywhere between 30 minutes to several days. Usually, there are no associated symptoms like nausea, vomiting or sensitivity to light/sound.
- Migraine headache is a common, recurrent headache disorder. Migraine headaches are often located on just one side of your head. Pain is described as throbbing or pulsatile. Pain is moderate to severe and intensifies with movement or activity. Headache gradually worsens and lasts 4 hours to several days. Commonly, there are associated symptoms including nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light/sound. Migraine can also be associated with visual or sensory symptoms that most often occur before the headache. These symptoms are known as an aura. The most common auras are visual such as seeing bright lines, shapes or objects.
| Tension-type Headache | Migraine Headache | |
| Location | both sides of head | one side of head |
| Description of pain | tightness, pressure | throbbing, pulsatile |
| Onset | gradual | gradual |
| Intensity | mild to moderate | moderate to severe |
| Duration | 30 minutes – several days | 4 hours – several days |
| Associated symptoms | none | nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound |
| Aura | no | sometimes |
Triggers
Headaches can be triggered by many different things. I mentioned some triggers in the above scenarios:
- skipping meals or eating too little
- drinking alcohol
- emotional stress
Other triggers include:
- too little or too much caffeine
- sleeping too little or too much (the later being quite unusual for travelers like us)
- certain food or drinks (wine, aged cheese, hot dogs)
- weather
- smoke
- heat
- exercise
Treatment
Headache is the last thing we want to stop us in our tracks! As travelers, we are very busy people. We’ve got sites to see, food to eat, cities to explore, friends to meet and the list goes on! Here are some tips to make you feel better. We’ve got to get you back to that bucket list!
The best treatment for headache is pain relievers such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), paracetamol (aka acetaminophen) and aspirin. Your best option is an NSAID such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Please see the adult dosing chart below.
| Pain Reliever | Dose | Frequency | Max. Daily Dose |
| Aspirin (immediate release) | 325-650mg | every 4 hours as needed | 4000mg daily do not use >10 days |
| Paracetamol (regular strength) | 650mg | every 4-6 hours as needed | 3250 mg daily |
| Paracetamol (extra strength) | 1000mg | every 6 hours as needed | 3000mg daily |
| Ibuprofen | 200mg | every 4-6 hours as needed | 3200mg daily do not use >10 days |
| Ibuprofen (if no relief with 200mg) | 400mg | every 4-6 hours as needed | 3200mg daily do not use >10 days |
| Naproxen | 200mg | every 8-12 hours as needed | 400mg in 8-12 hour period or 600mg daily |
The above chart is for adults only. Please refer to other resources for children. Do not given children aspirin.
** Avoid aspirin and NSAIDs if you have: gastritis, ulcers, kidney disease, a bleeding condition or take blood thinners.
*** If you have any other health problems and are concerned about the safety of these medications please contact your doctor.
People who suffer from migraine headaches may also need an abortive and/or preventive medication. These medications require a prescription from a healthcare provider.
It may also be helpful to:
- lay in a quiet, cool, dark room
- take a nap
- drink more water
Danger Signs
No one wants to go to the clinic, especially not while traveling, but sometimes it is necessary! Although, most headaches are harmless some can be serious and require further evaluation.
Seek advice from a healthcare professional if you have headache and any of the following:
- Headache is sudden in onset, quickly severe or the worst headache of your life.
- Headache is accompanied by fever or stiff neck.
- You have a seizure, personality changes, are confused or pass out.
- Headache began after exercise.
- Headache is worse with coughing, exertion or sexual activity.
- Head injury with headache, nausea or vomiting.
- You have weakness, numbness, difficulty with speech or trouble seeing.
- Headaches are new, especially if pregnant or >40 years old.
The medical information on this site is provided as a resource only. It is not intended to be relied on or substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, images and information found on this site are for general information purposes only.
Please consult your healthcare provider before making any healthcare decision or for questions regarding a specific medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on this site. In the event of a medical emergency, call a doctor or emergency services immediately.
Wanda R. Lust, PA-C assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information on this site. Wanda R. Lust, PA-C disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information found within this site. Wanda R. Lust, PA-C does not endorse any test, treatment or procedure mentioned on this site.
Reliance of any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.
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