Is Headache a Sign of COVID-19? What to Know, and How to Find Relief
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Under normal circumstances, it would be easy to brush off your pounding headache as a sign of seasonal allergies or skipping your morning cup of coffee. But now, it’s completely understandable to wonder if your headache is a sign of COVID-19. Is COVID headache a thing?
After all, COVID-19 is a respiratory infection, and it’s not unusual to have a headache with other respiratory viruses like the common cold or influenza. At the same time, headaches are incredibly common and have various triggers behind them.
However, research has found a link between headaches and COVID, and doctors are seeing this pop up in patients. “The virus can be associated with a headache, though often it is not the presenting complaint,” says Amit Sachdev, M.D., associate medical director for the department of neurology and ophthalmology at Michigan State University. Here’s what you need to know about the link between headaches and COVID-19.
Is a headache a common symptom of COVID-19?
Most people associate COVID-19 with a fever, cough, and shortness of breath, but headache is on the CDC’s official list of common symptoms of the virus:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
According to recent data published by the ZOE COVID Study, which asks participants to log their symptoms via an app, these are the most common symptoms of COVID-19 if you’re vaccinated:
Sore throat
Runny nose
Blocked nose
Persistent cough
Headache
But, for people who are unvaccinated or have had just one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the ZOE COVID Study lists headache as the most common symptom people experienced when they got the virus.
Why does COVID-19 sometimes cause headaches?
It’s not uncommon for people to get a headache when they get a respiratory infection, says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “It likely is a result of the systemic inflammation occurring in the body,” he says.
When you have a viral infection, your body mounts an immune response to fight it, explains William Schaffner, M.D., infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Your immune cells then release proteins known as cytokines that can cause inflammation and a fever, which can also lead to a headache, he says. Couple that with factors like not sleeping well, not eating enough, and not drinking enough water when you’re sick, and you can end up with a throbbing head.
Another theory: The coronavirus might actually enter the fluid around the brain, which could potentially trigger a headache, Dr. Sachdev says. That said, there’s a lot researchers don’t know about the virus right now and more evidence is needed.
What does COVID headache feel like?
There’s not a lot of information about what a coronavirus-induced headache is like, but Dr. Schaffner says that most viruses tend to cause headaches that get worse in the evening, and that the headaches are often tied to a fever.
Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, says that the feeling can vary from person to person. However, his wife recently had COVID-19 and a COVID headache, which she described as a “dull headache” that lasted for five days.
“It did respond to treatment but responded better to NSAIDs than acetaminophen,” Dr. Russo says. “If she didn’t treat it, it snuck back, particularly in the evenings or at night.”
How long does a COVID headache last?
It can “wax and wane,” Dr. Russo says, noting that COVID-19 symptoms in general may be this way. “It may slowly get better and then you have moments when the symptoms come back again,” he says.
Could a headache be the only sign of COVID-19?
It’s possible, but it’s more likely that you’ll have other symptoms along with your headache, like a fever and cough, Dr. Schaffner says.
Still, if you have a persistent headache that seemingly came out of nowhere and you’re also feeling kind of lousy, it’s not something to brush off. “If a person develops any symptom typically associated with a viral illness, then there needs to be a strong suspicion for COVID-19,” says Richard Watkins, M.D., infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University.
The only way to know for sure, though, is to test yourself for COVID-19 or have your doctor order testing.
What can you do to relieve your headache right now?
You may have heard a while ago about claims that taking ibuprofen when you have COVID-19 could make things worse. But the WHO later released the findings of a systematic report that analyzed the effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen, on people who had viral respiratory infections, including COVID-19. The report confirmed that there was “no evidence” that NSAIDs made the infection worse.
Dr. Adalja says the usual headache remedies should help when it comes to treating head pain linked to COVID-19. “Medication like aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen is what can be used to treat it,” he says. COVID-19 headaches “usually last several hours,” Dr. Adalja says, but OTC pain medications should help shorten that timeframe.
In general, ibuprofen tends to do a better job with tackling headaches than acetaminophen (aka Tylenol), Dr. Russo says. “You can try starting with Tylenol, but be aware that it may not get the job done,” he says. “Ibuprofen tends to work better.”
It’s also important to consider that your headache may not be related to COVID-19. For example, if you’ve stopped drinking your usual cup of coffee or are having less caffeine than usual, that can trigger a headache, Dr. Russo says. “Caffeine is a very common cause of headache,” he points out.
When should you call your doctor about a headache?
“There are some indications that COVID-19 might be related to more serious neurological conditions, such as blood clotting, stroke, or infections of the brain,” says Brian Gerhardstein, M.D, Ph.D., associate professor of neurology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “These could also lead to symptoms such as headaches, so you should seek medical attention for any concerning or worsening headaches or other medical or neurological symptoms.”
That means if you ever think your symptoms point to COVID-19, don’t hesitate to call your doctor, Dr. Watkins says. If your headache doesn’t seem to be getting better or comes on with other symptoms, like a fever or cough, he or she should be able to determine if you qualify for a COVID-19 test or give you guidance on how recover at home if your illness is considered mild.
Regardless of whether you have COVID-19, Dr. Adalja says you should “seek immediate attention” if your headache is paired with slurred speech or blurry vision. It could be due to COVID-19 or something else entirely.
This article is accurate as of press time. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly evolves and the scientific community’s understanding of the novel coronavirus develops, some of the information may have changed since it was last updated. While we aim to keep all of our stories up to date, please visit online resources provided by the CDC, WHO, and your local public health department to stay informed on the latest news. Always talk to your doctor for professional medical advice.
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