Most headaches are tension-type headaches or migraine, which are painful but not dangerous. A few headaches are warnings of something serious, and knowing those signs matters most.
Reviewed September 2026 · For information, not diagnosis
In India call 112 for emergencies or 108 for an ambulance, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Do not wait to see whether a remedy works.
Migraine is a common inherited brain disorder, not simply a bad headache. Attacks usually cause:
About one in three people with migraine have an aura first: zigzag lines, flashing lights or blind spots, sometimes tingling or difficulty speaking, spreading over 5–60 minutes. A first-ever aura, or one with weakness on one side, should be checked urgently because it can mimic a stroke.
Migraine is two to three times more common in women, often linked to periods, and usually improves after the menopause. It is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide in people under 50.
| Type | Typical features |
|---|---|
| Migraine | One-sided, throbbing, with nausea and light sensitivity; 4–72 hours. |
| Tension-type headache | A tight band or pressure on both sides; mild to moderate; you can usually carry on. |
| Medication-overuse headache | Daily or near-daily headache in someone taking painkillers or triptans on 10–15 or more days a month. |
| Cluster headache | Excruciating pain around one eye with a watery eye and runny nostril, 15 minutes to 3 hours, often at the same time each day for weeks. |
| Sinus headache | Facial pain with a blocked nose during a cold or sinusitis. Many “sinus headaches” are actually migraine. |
Triggers vary from person to person, and a headache diary for 2–3 months is the best way to find yours:
Women who have migraine with aura should tell their doctor before starting the combined contraceptive pill, because together they raise the risk of stroke.
If you have migraine on four or more days a month, or attacks are disabling, a daily preventive medicine can cut the number of attacks by half or more for many people. Options include propranolol, amitriptyline, flunarizine, topiramate and candesartan, and for difficult cases, monthly injections that block CGRP or Botox injections for chronic migraine. Topiramate can harm an unborn baby, so it needs reliable contraception.
A homeopath asks about the side and character of the pain, what brings attacks on and what eases them, accompanying symptoms, and the person’s constitution, and chooses a remedy.
Using homeopathy safely with headaches
In a double-blind trial of individualised homeopathy for migraine prevention, attacks fell by 19% with homeopathy and by 16% with placebo — no significant difference. A systematic review of the controlled trials concluded that they do not suggest homeopathy prevents migraine or headache beyond a placebo effect.
More broadly, the largest independent assessment — the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council’s 2015 review of 176 studies — found no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective for any health condition, and advised against using it for conditions that are chronic, serious or could become serious. People often do feel better after a long, unhurried homeopathic consultation; in one controlled trial in rheumatoid arthritis, the benefit came from the consultation rather than the remedy.
In practice: if you choose homeopathy, use it alongside the care described on this page, not instead of it — and tell each practitioner what the other has prescribed. More on the research →
These are the traditional descriptions (“keynotes”) from the homeopathic materia medica, listed so you recognise names a practitioner may mention. They are not evidence that a remedy works and not a guide to self-treatment. Homeopaths choose one remedy for the whole person rather than by diagnosis.
Described for sudden, violent, throbbing headache with a flushed face, worse from light and jarring.
Described for a hammering headache after sun or study, preceded by zigzag vision.
Described for migraine with blurred vision at the start and sour vomiting; the “weekend headache”.
Described for right-sided pain rising from the back of the head to settle over the eye.
Described for left-sided pain over the eye, worse from movement and noise.
Described for a dull, heavy headache from the back of the neck, with drooping eyelids.
Described for a bursting, pulsating headache from sun or heat.
Described for headache after late nights, rich food or too much coffee.
If you would like to try homeopathy, see a registered homeopathic doctor (BHMS or MD (Hom)) who will take a full history, knows your other treatment and will tell you when you need a medical specialist. Take your prescriptions and recent test reports with you.
No homeopaths have a profile on NeedsDoctor yet, so we cannot suggest one here. Choosing a homeopath explains how to check a practitioner’s qualifications and registration.
Are you a homeopathic doctor? Create your profile so readers of this page can find you.
This page is general information, reviewed September 2026. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace a consultation. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine without talking to the doctor who prescribed it. In an emergency in India call 112 (ambulance 108).
