What Does a COVID-19 Headache Feel Like? Symptoms and More – Healthline

COVID-19 is a viral infection that more than 508 million people have developed through April 2022. Its caused by a type of coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory infections.

Headaches are one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19. Data released from the COVID Symptoms Study in December 2021 revealed that headaches were one of the five most reported symptoms of the Omicron variant, along with:

COVID-19 has been linked to tension headaches and migraine. When headaches appear, they often appear as one of the early symptoms.

In most cases, headaches go away within a couple of weeks, but some people experience long-haul headaches for weeks or months after infection.

Keep reading to learn more about the symptoms of COVID-19 headaches and what you can do about them.

Many studies have confirmed that headaches are one of the most common neurological symptoms of COVID-19. When they appear, theyre generally the first symptom.

However, there are no specific characteristics of COVID-19-caused headaches that are different from other types of headache.

Its important to pay attention to whether the headache is more intense than youre used to or whether it occurs at an unusual time and not because of typical stressors.

Most people who experience COVID-19 headaches develop tension headaches with the following characteristics:

About a quarter of people who experience COVID-19 headaches also have migraine episodes. These headaches can occur in people without a history of migraine.

Migraine may cause:

People with COVID-19 who develop headaches also tend to develop:

In a 2022 study, researchers found that among 288 people with COVID-19, 22.2 percent developed neurological symptoms. Of these people, 69.1 percent developed headaches.

Headaches generally lasted for 7 days. They persisted for more than 30 days in 18 percent of people who developed headaches and more than 3 months in 10 percent.

In another 2022 study, researchers found that in a group of 905 people who developed COVID-19 headaches, half experienced headaches for longer than 2 weeks.

If you have a previous history of headaches, avoiding your known triggers may help reduce headache occurrence. Alcohol is a common trigger for migraine, so you may benefit from avoiding it.

A number of home remedies may help you manage your symptoms. These include:

Corticosteroids may help treat prolonged headaches that dont respond to other treatments.

In most people, COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms that can be treated with rest and drinking fluids.

In rare cases, COVID-19 has been linked to thunderclap headaches. These headaches can cause severe pain that onsets within seconds.

Thunderclap headaches may be a sign of bleeding in the brain that requires prompt medical attention. Its critical to see medical attention immediately if you experience a severe headache that onsets quickly.

You should also seek emergency medical attention if you experience any of the emergency COVID-19 symptoms:

Note: People with dark skin may not be able to notice discoloration that indicates oxygen deprivation as easily as people with lighter skin.

If you have long-haul COVID-19 symptoms, its important to visit your doctor for an evaluation and to build a proper treatment plan.

Headaches are one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19. One review of studies found that among 6,635 people with COVID-19, 12.9 percent developed headaches or dizziness.

Another review found 10.9 percent of people with COVID-19 in a group of 7,559 reported headaches.

Women and younger people seem to be most prone to developing COVID-19 headaches.

Its not clear exactly why COVID-19 causes headaches, but both indirect and direct factors may contribute.

Its been suggested that the virus may invade your brain tissue, possibly through your olfactory system or by crossing the blood-brain barrier and promoting inflammation. Its possible that dysfunction of your hypothalamus or trigeminal nerve may also contribute.

Some people with COVID-19 may develop a cytokine storm (overproduction of pro-inflammatory molecules by the immune system). This reaction may lead to neuroinflammation that causes headaches.

Other factors like low oxygen levels to the brain, dehydration, or not eating normally can also all potentially contribute to the development of headaches.

Headaches are a common side effect of COVID-19 vaccines. Theyre reported by about half of people who receive vaccines and usually onset within 72 hours. Headaches can occur by themselves or with other symptoms like:

Headaches usually resolve within a few days.

Headaches that onset later can be a sign of a serious complication called cerebral venous thrombosis. The National Health Service recommends seeking emergency medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms between 4 days to 4 weeks after your vaccine:

Headaches are one of the most reported symptoms of COVID-19. Tension headaches are most common, but about a quarter of people who report headaches experience migraine episodes. Migraine sometimes develops in people with no previous history.

COVID-19 can usually be managed with rest, but its important to visit a doctor if you develop emergency symptoms like shortness of breath or chest pain. Its also important to visit your doctor if you develop long-haul symptoms for a proper evaluation.

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What Does a COVID-19 Headache Feel Like? Symptoms and More - Healthline