If you have been infected with COVID in the past few months, you may still be experiencing symptoms. For a certain percentage of people, an infection can turn into long-term COVID, which can include a wide range of respiratory, neurological, digestive and musculoskeletal problems that can last for weeks, months or years. Headaches have become one of the most commonly reported symptoms after infection with COVID. “The headache associated with COVID-19 can take many forms, ranging from a mild and dull headache to an acute and worst type of headache in my life,” says Joy Mitra, a neurologist at Houston Methodist Hospital. “The duration of their persistence also varies from patient to patient.”
COVID infection often worsens existing headaches
If you were already prone to headaches, there’s a good chance that a COVID infection will make them worse. “People who have pre-existing migraines or suffer from varying levels of stress in their daily lives have been reported to be the worst subset of COVID survivors with long-lasting headache episodes, even up to six months after testing negative,” says Mitra. . For people with chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, this can also predispose them to post-COVID headaches.
How to manage your headaches
As Mitra advises, if you’re experiencing post-infection headaches, general management strategies include eating healthy, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and avoiding stress to reduce either the intensity or frequency of your headaches. For headaches that are particularly dangerous, pain management will likely include medication, which is important to be careful about, as overuse can lead to a rebound headache. In general, the advice is to take headache medicine no more than twice a week. If your headaches are more frequent than this, it’s especially important to see a doctor to find an effective, long-term way to manage your pain. G/O Media may receive a commission
When you should see a doctor about your headaches
If your headaches are particularly painful or frequent, then this is something you should see a doctor about. You should also see a doctor about your headaches if you have other conditions that can make them worse, such as high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, insomnia, or if you’re experiencing symptoms of brain fog. As Mitra advises, it helps to be as specific as you can about the frequency, duration and location of your headaches, as this will help your doctor make a proper assessment.
