Same-day sick visits
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Learn moreHeadache care from your family practice
Most headaches are not dangerous, but frequent ones can take over your days. You may miss work or school, cancel plans or reach for pain relievers more often than you'd like. At Beckett Ridge Family Medicine, we help you understand what kind of headaches you have, what sets them off and how to treat them in a way that is safe over the long run.
Our office in West Chester Township has cared for families since 1995, including many patients from Liberty Township and Mason. Because we know your full health history, we can look at how sleep, stress, other conditions and your current medicines may play a part.
Common types of headaches
- Tension-type headaches often feel like a band of pressure or tightness around the head. They may be linked to stress, poor sleep, or tight neck and shoulder muscles.
- Migraines are often throbbing and may be on one side of the head. They can come with nausea, and sensitivity to light or sound. Some people notice warning signs, such as changes in vision, before the pain starts.
- Other headaches can come from sinus problems, eye strain, changes in caffeine use or the overuse of pain medicine. Less often, a headache is a sign of another health problem that needs attention.
Many people have more than one type. Sorting out which is which helps us choose the right treatment.
Call 911 or go to the nearest ER right away if:
- Your headache comes on suddenly and is explosive or violent, or it is the worst headache of your life.
- You also have slurred speech, a change in vision, trouble moving your arms or legs, loss of balance, confusion or memory loss.
- You have a headache with fever, a stiff neck, nausea and vomiting.
- Your headache started after a blow to the head or other head injury.
Call us soon, during office hours, if your headaches are new and you are over 50, a headache keeps getting worse over a day, the pain is severe and in one eye with redness, or your headache pattern has changed.
How we treat headaches and migraines
There is no single treatment that works for everyone. Your plan is built around your headache type, how often they happen and your other health needs. It may include:
- Finding your triggers. Common triggers include missed meals, poor sleep, stress, dehydration, certain foods or drinks, and changes in routine. Hormone changes can also play a role for some women.
- Keeping a headache diary. We may ask you to write down when each headache starts, what you ate and drank, how you slept, what you were doing and what helped. Patterns often show up within a few weeks.
- Medicine when appropriate. Some medicines treat a headache once it starts. If headaches are frequent, a daily medicine to help prevent them may be an option. We'll go over the benefits and side effects with you.
- Avoiding medication-overuse headache. Taking pain relievers too often can lead to headaches that keep coming back, sometimes called rebound headaches. We'll help you use medicine in a way that lowers that risk.
- Everyday habits. Regular sleep, steady meals, enough water, physical activity and ways to manage stress can all make a difference.
- Referral to neurology. If your headaches don't improve with treatment, or your exam or symptoms raise concerns, we'll refer you to a neurologist and stay involved in your care.
Headaches with fatigue or brain fog
Sometimes headaches are part of a bigger picture that includes ongoing fatigue, poor sleep or trouble thinking clearly. If that sounds familiar, our functional medicine–informed care can look more broadly at factors that may be involved.
Book a headache visit
If headaches are getting in the way of your life, call (513) 860-4600. If you have a bad headache today and none of the warning signs above, call during office hours and we'll tell you whether a same-day sick visit makes sense.
