🤕 Headaches keeping you down?
Speak with an AHPRA-registered Australian GP online — consultations from $49, treatment plans and scripts without leaving home.
Book a Telehealth Consultation →"It's just another headache" — until the nausea hits, the light becomes unbearable and you're lying in a dark room at 2pm on a Tuesday. Headaches are extraordinarily common; migraine affects roughly one in ten Australians. But telling the two apart matters, because they're managed differently — and because a small number of headaches are warning signs of something serious.
This guide compares ordinary headaches with migraine, walks through the warning signs doctors actually look for, and explains when to get checked. You can also read our full guide to migraine treatment.
Duration matters
Migraine attacks typically last 4–72 hours; ordinary tension headaches resolve in hours.
Aura happens
About 1 in 4 people with migraine get warning symptoms — zigzags, blind spots, tingling — before the pain.
SNOOP rule
Doctors use the SNOOP checklist to spot headaches that need urgent investigation.
Treatment differs
What relieves a tension headache can fall short for migraine — getting the diagnosis right changes the plan.
Migraine vs ordinary headache: the key differences
| Feature | Ordinary (tension-type) headache | Migraine |
|---|---|---|
| Pain location | Usually both sides, band-like around the head | Often one-sided, or clearly worse on one side |
| Quality | Pressing or tightening — like a tight band | Pulsating or throbbing, often in time with the heartbeat |
| Intensity | Mild to moderate — you can usually push through | Moderate to severe — hard to function |
| Duration | 30 minutes to a few hours | 4–72 hours if untreated |
| Activity | Not usually made worse by walking upstairs or moving | Routine activity tends to worsen the pain |
| Nausea / vomiting | Rare | Common — often with reduced appetite |
| Light & sound | Mild sensitivity at most | Pronounced — light and noise are painful, dark rooms appeal |
| Aura | Never | In ~25% — visual zigzags, blind spots, tingling or speech changes for 5–60 minutes before the pain |
| Typical triggers | Stress, posture, screen time, tension | Stress (or its relief), hormones, sleep changes, skipped meals, weather, certain foods |
🚩 The SNOOP warning signs — get checked promptly if any apply
Neurologists use this checklist to flag headaches that shouldn't be managed at home:
- S — Systemic symptoms: fever, unexplained weight loss, feeling systemically unwell
- N — Neurological signs: weakness, numbness, confusion, speech change, vision change, seizure
- O — Onset: sudden, severe headache that hits maximum within seconds to minutes ("worst headache of my life")
- O — Older age: a new type of headache starting after age 50
- P — Pattern change / progression: headaches becoming different, more frequent or progressively worse; worse lying flat, coughing or on waking; or after any head injury
What about other common headaches?
| Tension-type | Migraine | Cluster | Medication-overuse | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain | Band-like, both sides | Throbbing, one side | Excruciating, around one eye | Mirror of your usual headache, back daily |
| Timing | Hours; often end of day | 4–72 hours | 15–180 min, often same time daily, in "clusters" of weeks | Present most days, worst on waking |
| Clue | Stress, desk posture | Nausea, light sensitivity, aura | Restlessness, tearing or red eye on the painful side | Painkillers used 10–15+ days a month |
What to do — step by step
Start a headache diary
Before anything else, record what happens: when headaches occur, how long they last, severity out of 10, where the pain sits, and what else comes with it — nausea, light sensitivity, aura. Note possible triggers (sleep, stress, food, menstrual cycle) and what you took for it. Even a fortnight of notes transforms a GP consultation — patterns that seem obvious in hindsight rarely survive a doctor's question without them.
Treat early, and match treatment to the pattern
For occasional tension-type headaches, simple pain relief (paracetamol or ibuprofen as directed), hydration, a break from screens and a walk often suffice. For migraine, treatment works best taken early, at the first sign of an attack. If attacks are frequent (more than 4 a month), severe, or over-the-counter options aren't cutting it, see a GP — specific migraine treatments and preventive options exist, and frequent painkiller use itself can cause medication-overuse headache. An AHPRA-registered GP can assess and prescribe where appropriate — seeing a GP online is straightforward, with consultations from $49 (how telehealth works).
Get checked if the picture changes — or don't fit the pattern
Any SNOOP red flag, a first-ever severe headache, headaches after a head knock, or a pattern that's changing needs a doctor's assessment rather than another tablet. Recurrent migraine that isn't responding may warrant a specialist (neurology) referral — NewTeleDoc can arrange one online for $25 when clinically appropriate. And if migraines are entwined with stress, anxiety or low mood — as they often are — a mental health consultation can help; mental health plans are bulk billed for eligible Medicare card holders.
When a headache becomes an emergency
🚨 Call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department for:
- A sudden, severe headache that peaks within seconds to a minute — "the worst headache of my life" (possible bleeding around the brain)
- Headache with fever and a stiff neck, or a rash that doesn't fade under pressure — possible meningitis
- Weakness, numbness, slurred speech or facial droop with the headache — possible stroke
- Confusion, drowsiness, seizures or difficulty waking
- Sudden vision loss or double vision
- A headache after a head injury — especially with vomiting or worsening drowsiness
These signs can indicate bleeding, infection, stroke or raised pressure in the skull — they need emergency, in-person assessment, not a telehealth appointment.
Can an online doctor help with headaches and migraine?
Yes — headache and migraine are among the conditions telehealth GPs manage well. Because diagnosis relies mainly on the history (the diary you started in step 1 pays off here), a video or phone consultation works naturally:
- Diagnosis and assessment — distinguishing migraine from tension headache, cluster headache and other patterns, and screening for red flags
- Prescriptions — specific acute migraine treatments, anti-nausea medication or preventive options where appropriate, sent digitally (how online prescriptions work)
- Medical certificates — for bad migraine days that keep you off work or study, from $15
- Specialist referrals — neurology or imaging referrals for complex, resistant or atypical headaches, $25 each
- Co-existing mental health support — migraine and anxiety/depression frequently travel together; plans are bulk billed for eligible Medicare card holders
If your headache pattern includes red flags or needs a physical or neurological examination, the doctor will say so clearly and direct you to in-person care. Our guide on telehealth vs seeing your GP in person covers where each option fits, and what a telehealth consultation costs.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my headache is a migraine?
The strongest clues are pulsating one-sided pain of moderate-to-severe intensity lasting 4–72 hours, made worse by routine activity, and accompanied by nausea and/or marked light and sound sensitivity. Some people also get aura — visual zigzags, blind spots or tingling — before the pain. An ordinary tension headache feels more like a band of pressure on both sides and doesn't stop you functioning the same way. A headache diary over a couple of weeks makes it much easier for a GP to tell.
What are the warning signs a headache is something serious?
Doctors use the SNOOP checklist: Systemic symptoms (fever, weight loss, feeling unwell), Neurological signs (weakness, confusion, vision change, seizure), Onset that's sudden and severe ("worst headache of my life"), Older age with a new headache type (over 50), and Pattern change — headaches becoming progressively worse or different, worse lying flat, coughing or on waking, or following a head injury. Any of these needs prompt medical assessment; sudden severe onset with neurological signs needs emergency care (000).
When should I see a doctor about headaches?
See a GP if headaches are frequent (more than a few a month), disrupt work or daily life, don't respond to over-the-counter pain relief, require painkillers more than 10–15 days a month, or if the pattern changes. Also get checked after any first-ever severe or unusual headache, and promptly if any SNOOP red flag is present. Emergency signs — thunderclap onset, fever with stiff neck, weakness or confusion — mean 000 immediately.
Can an online doctor prescribe migraine medication?
Yes, when clinically appropriate. A telehealth GP can assess your headache pattern, confirm or clarify a migraine diagnosis, and prescribe acute treatments (including anti-nausea medication) or preventive options. They'll also flag any red flags that need in-person or emergency assessment. Keeping a symptom diary before the consultation makes the appointment far more productive.
Can too many painkillers cause headaches?
Yes — it's called medication-overuse headache, and it's one of the most common chronic headache patterns. Using simple painkillers or combination analgesics on 10–15 or more days per month for several months can turn occasional headaches into a near-daily one, typically worse on waking. The treatment isn't more medication — it's a GP-supervised plan to reduce use and treat the underlying headache type properly.
Headaches becoming a pattern, not a one-off?
Book an online GP consultation from $49 — get a proper diagnosis, a treatment plan that fits, and a certificate if migraine's cost you a workday.
Book Your Online GP Visit →This article provides general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified health professional with any questions about your health or a medical condition. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 000 or attend your nearest emergency department.