Headache Causes - Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Advice updates and vaccine options Find out about COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccines, and Mayo Clinic patient and visitor updates. Skip to site navigation Skip to Content This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Appointments at Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations. Request Appointment Symptoms Headache Print Definition Causes When to see a doctor Products and services CausesBy Mayo Clinic Staff Your headache symptoms can help your doctor determine its cause and the appropriate treatment. Most headaches aren't the result of a serious illness, but some may result from a life-threatening condition requiring emergency care. Headaches are generally classified by cause: Primary headaches A primary headache is caused by overactivity of or problems with pain-sensitive structures in your head. A primary headache isn't a symptom of an underlying disease. Chemical activity in your brain, the nerves or blood vessels surrounding your skull, or the muscles of your head and neck (or some combination of these factors) can play a role in primary headaches. Some people may also carry genes that make them more likely to develop such headaches. The most common primary headaches are:Cluster headache Migraine Migraine with aura Tension headache Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC), such as cluster headache and paroxysmal hemicrania A few headache patterns also are generally considered types of primary headache, but are less common. These headaches have distinct features, such as an unusual duration or pain associated with a certain activity. Although generally considered primary, each could be a symptom of an underlying disease. They include:Chronic daily headaches (for example, chronic migraine, chronic tension-type headache, or hemicranias continua)Cough headaches Exercise headaches Sex headaches Some primary headaches can be triggered by lifestyle factors, including:Alcohol, particularly red wineCertain foods, such as processed meats that contain nitratesChanges in sleep or lack of sleepPoor postureSkipped mealsStress Secondary headaches A secondary headache is a symptom of a disease that can activate the pain-sensitive nerves of the head. Any number of conditions - varying greatly in severity - may cause secondary headaches. Possible causes of secondary headaches include:Acute sinusitis (nasal and sinus infection)Arterial tears (carotid or vertebral dissections)Blood clot (venous thrombosis) within the brain — separate from strokeBrain aneurysm Brain AVM (arteriovenous malformation) Brain tumor Carbon monoxide poisoning Chiari malformation (structural problem at the base of your skull)Concussion Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Dehydration Dental problemsEar infection (middle ear) Encephalitis (brain inflammation)Giant cell arteritis (inflammation of the lining of the arteries)Glaucoma (acute angle closure glaucoma)Hangovers High blood pressure (hypertension) Influenza (flu) and other febrile (fever) illnessesIntracranial hematoma Medications to treat other disordersMeningitis Monosodium glutamate (MSG)Overuse of pain medicationPanic attacks and panic disorder Persistent post-concussive symptoms (Post-concussion syndrome) Pressure from tight headgear, such as a helmet or gogglesPseudotumor cerebri (idiopathic intracranial hypertension) Stroke Toxoplasmosis Trigeminal neuralgia (as well as other neuralgias, all involving irritation of certain nerves connecting the face and brain) Some types of secondary headaches include:(commonly called brain freeze)Medication overuse headaches (caused by overuse of pain medication)Sinus headaches (caused by inflammation and congestion in sinus cavities)Spinal headaches (caused by low pressure or volume of cerebrospinal fluid, possibly the result of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak, spinal tap or spinal anesthesia)Thunderclap headaches (a group of disorders that involves sudden, severe headaches with multiple causes) Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. 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If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Subscribe! Thank you for subscribing You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry DefinitionWhen to see a doctor ShareTweet June 03, 2020 Show references Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2016. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2016. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Feb. 29, 2016. Digre KB. Headaches and other head pain. In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 25th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2016. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 2, 2016 Secondary headaches. 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American Headache Society Committee for Headache Education. http://www.achenet.org/resources/trigger_avoidance_information /. Accessed March 8, 2016. Flu symptoms & severity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/symptoms.htm. Accessed March 8, 2016. Cutrer FM, et al. Cough, exercise, and sex headaches. Neurologic Clinics. 2014:32:433. Bajwa ZH, et al. Evaluation of headache in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed March 2, 2016. Evans RW, et al. Postconcussion syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed March 2, 2016. Green MW. Secondary headaches. In: Continuum Lifelong Learning Neurology. 2012;18:783. Simon RA. Allergic and asthmatic reactions to food additives. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed March 8, 2016. External compression headache. International Headache Society. http://ihs-classification.org/en/02_klassifikation/04_teil3/13.10.00_facialpain.html. Accessed March 8, 2016. Seifert T. Headache in sports. Current Pain and Headache Reports. 2014;18:448. The elusive hangover cure. British Columbia Drug and Poison Information Centre. http://dpic.org/article/professional/elusive-hangover-cure. Accessed March 8, 2016. Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/headache/detail_headache.htm#142883138. Accessed March 8, 2016. When to see a physician for your headache. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/when-to-see-a-physician-for-your-headache/. Accessed March 8, 2016. AskMayoExpert. COVID-19: Neurologic manifestations. Mayo Clinic; 2020. Mao L, et al. Neurologic manifestations of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in Wuhan, China. JAMA Neurology. 2020; doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.1127. 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