I've Had A Moderate Headache Since Yesterday Afternoon And Woke

Brief Answer:
Decision to go or not to URGENT CARE is YOURS but let's talk a minute

Detailed Answer:
Good afternoon.... I'm hoping that your headache is not being too terribly difficult....It sounds like aside from some lightheaded feelings everything else is OK? No nausea/vomiting or other symptoms that most people would consider disabling or prostrating? You're not telling me exactly HOW much caffeine you are drinking...nor are you saying much about how common it is for you to have this type of problem or if anything happened such as a blow to the head, hangover from the weekend, recent viral cold or flu?

Your description seems mild to moderate at worst and it certainly doesn't smack of an emergent situation such as an aneurysmal bleed, AVM going South, Stroke, or intracranial mass (i.e. tumor). It doesn't sound like an abscess or meningitis or anything INTENSELY infectious. It doesn't smell of anything such as a viral encephalitis, measles that's going around the country.... etc.

It just sounds like a very mild to moderate tension type of headache which could be secondary to something like mild dehydration, hypoglycemia, or a viral syndrome due to changes of weather we've been experiencing....especially here in XXXXXXX OH where it was hitting 70 yesterday and then, plummeted to the 30's this morning....lots of people with viral "hangovers" with low level headaches.

Also, don't forget about that little known entity (that even may escape some doctors' radars) called MEDICATION OVERUSE HEADACHE (MOH). That's when you have a mild or minor headache and take something for it like Tylenol or Motrin...but it doesn't quite kick it...so the person takes a few more just to push it over the edge....but...that doesn't seem to work...and so they take 1 or 2 more....and then, before you know it the headache might even start getting worse....SO THEY TAKE MORE.....Get the picture?

Don't let that happen to you.....

So, again, I wish I could be a bit more exuberant about your diagnosis to say that I knew EXACTLY what you were dealing with but without important details about YOU, recent activities, your history with headaches (i.e. how unusual is this sort of thing for you?), are you kind of a nervous anxious person, or are you pretty chill, are you a big PMS'er and are we anywhere around your period, what you've been doing to treat these things, or recent viral illnesses, konks to the noggin' etc.....then, it doesn't sound like a terribly aggressive headache that some good hydration (refrain from too much caffeine), rest, and perhaps a couple of ES TYLENOL couldn't fix.....unless you've already done your share of Tylenol in which case you shouldn't really do more....

Does all that make sense?

I would say that your headache condition should be looked at by a doctor IF you were to develop any changes to your current condition such that symptoms become more complicated (nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, sudden numbness/tingling/weakness in a specific arm, leg, or half the face). That would be a bad turn of events. Or if the pain suddenly goes from this mild to moderate discomfort to like...ridiculously skyrocketing 8 or 9/10, etc. You with me?

You might to try and eat something basic and benign if you haven't had anything to eat much today...like some soup, broth, yogurt with some fruit, maybe a nice helping of a fruit salad with a little chicken breast or salmon in it...just to get something good into your system.

If the headache were still persisting into later this afternoon or this evening after trying some of these tricks....then, a visit to an Urgent Care would be worthwhile....just don't let them prescribe narcotics or controlled substances, because that's not the way to go on these sorts of headaches unless you've got some personality or psychological things that I'm not privy to knowing right now....make sense? They could prescribe something like a good stiff dose of MOTRIN, or NAPROXEN, or even one of my favorites for this type of situation, DICLOFENAC....again, assuming you haven't already been treating yourself to these things on an "excessive" basis.

Cheers my dear....hope things start turning around...where are you BTW? I think you're somewhere in the state of Kansas, "Ad Astra per Aspera"...right? But for some reason the computer is localizing you to the middle of some body of water (The Cheney Reservoir)....you live on a houseboat or something??? HA!

If I've provided useful or helpful information to your query (your BAREBONES question! LOL!!) could you do me the utmost of favors by CLOSING THE QUERY and include a few positive words of feedback- Hey, maybe even a 5-star rating if you feel it is deserving? I am definitely interested in getting updated information if you'd care to drop me a line at www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi and tell me what you ended up doing and how things panned out...

You can always reach me at the above address for this and other questions. I wish you the best with everything and hope this discussion has aided in your understanding of a few concepts related to your problem and given you some direction as to which way to go for an evaluation.

This query required 60 minutes of professional time to research, assimilate, and file a response.

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