COVID Headache vs. a General Migraine: How To Tell the Difference

Head pain is never easy, especially when nothing seems to help, and it lasts for days or longer. 

When headache pain like this develops, it’s easy to assume it’s a migraine. However, COVID-19 can also cause intense headaches, and they can last for weeks and even months at a time.

Dr. Rekha Kesavan and her team offer testing and treatment for numerous health conditions at Comprehensive Primary Care in Lawrenceville and Suwanee, Georgia. 

In this blog, they explain the difference between a COVID headache and migraine — and when to schedule an appointment.

Headache basics

It may seem like a headache is just a headache. However, there are more than 150 types of this common problem. They generally fall into two distinct categories: primary and secondary headaches.

Primary headaches

Headaches that fall under this heading occur because of an issue with pain-sensitive features inside the head. More simply put, there is no medical issue causing the headache.

Instead, primary headaches typically occur in people with a genetic predisposition. They can also get triggered by specific situations or lifestyle factors, like poor sleep, physical activity, eating certain foods, and stress.

Migraine headaches fall under this category.

Secondary headaches

As you might suspect, headaches with this classification occur because of another issue. That means the headache is a symptom, not the primary condition.

If you’ve ever had a headache from dehydration, a sinus infection, or a cold, you may have experienced this firsthand.

COVID-19 can also cause moderate to severe head pain during and after infection.

Migraine vs. COVID headache symptoms

There’s a reason people confuse these headaches — they share similar symptoms, such as:

• Moderate to severe intensity
• A pressing or pulsing pain
• Symptoms that worsen with head movement or physical activity
• Pain on both sides of the head

However, they also have very distinct differences.

First, a COVID-19 headache occurs in response to an infection, so you may also notice body aches, fever, chills, fatigue, coughing, or lost sense of taste or smell.

Migraine attacks, on the other hand, are “the main event.” They commonly start with an aura and include additional symptoms, like sensitivity to sound and light, nausea, or vomiting.

Finally, a COVID-19 headache often fails to respond to over-the-counter pain relievers and medications used to treat an acute migraine headache.

Finding headache relief

Whether you have a migraine or a COVID headache, they can leave you feeling miserable. 

Fortunately, if you have head pain that doesn’t ease, our team can help. 

Based on your symptoms, we could recommend a COVID-19 screening to look for signs of infection or digital imaging tests to check for underlying health problems.

Once we know what’s triggering your headache, we can create a management strategy.

Headache treatments vary, depending on the cause. However, most respond best to a combination of therapies, including medication and healthy lifestyle changes.

Do you have a headache that won’t quit? Contact Comprehensive Primary Care to schedule a consultation with one of our experts in Lawrenceville or Suwannee, Georgia, today.