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What causes headaches every day? Related conditions and treatments

Medically reviewed by Anne Jacobson, MD, MPH
Board-Certified Family Physician
Updated Apr. 10, 2024  •  Published Feb. 23, 2023
Fact Checked
Migraines causes

Overview: What do daily headaches feel like?

“Daily headaches” are headaches that happen at least 15 times a month. If daily headaches last for three months or more, they’re considered “chronic daily headaches.” l Most headaches, like migraines or tension headaches, occur occasionally. But when they happen more often, they qualify as chronic daily headaches. The pain can be severe or moderate, stabbing or dull, throbbing or continuous, on one side of the head or on both sides. The headache may last for a few minutes or for several hours. There can be other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light. Less commonly, daily headaches start unexpectedly in people without a history of headaches. 

RELATED: 8 types of headaches and how to treat them

Key takeaways:

  • Common causes of daily headaches include migraine , muscle tension , nerve pain, medication overuse, medication side effects, physical activity, and problems with sleep., Less common but more serious causes include infections, bleeding in the brain, brain tumors, increased pressure in the brain, blood vessel problems, and problems with spinal fluid.

  • Most causes of daily headaches do not require immediate medical attention, but a few are serious.

  • Daily headaches can interfere with daily living and generally require treatment. 

  • Treatments of daily headaches vary, depending on the underlying cause. Read more about treatment for migraines here and other types of chronic headaches here.

  • Daily headaches can often be managed with good sleep hygiene, using cold compresses, staying hydrated, avoiding triggers, and practicing relaxation techniques. 

  • Use coupons for acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and sumatriptan to save up to 80%.

What causes daily headaches?

The most common causes of daily headaches are migraine headaches and tension headaches. These usually start as episodic headaches and may develop into chronic daily headaches.

Chronic daily headaches that usually last a short time (less than four hours) may be caused by: 

  • Sleep disorders

  • Coughing or straining

  • Physical exertion

  • Cluster headaches (stabbing pain behind one eye, often with other symptoms on the same side)

  • Paroxysmal hemicrania ( headaches and face pain on one side of the head) 

  • Nerve pain (neuralgia) on one side of the face

Chronic daily headaches that last a long time (more than four hours) are typically caused by :

  • Migraine headaches

  • Tension-type headaches

  • Hemicrania continua (long-duration headaches and face pain on one side of the head)

Medication-overuse headaches (MOH) happen when pain medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), migraine drugs, and opioids are used chronically. As the drug wears off, people experience rebound headaches. Because the headache temporarily gets better with more medication, this leads to a cycle of more medication and more headaches.

Many headache syndromes have triggers such as stress, caffeine, sensory stimulation, anxiety, coughing, physical activity, poor sleep, dehydration, and hormone changes. 

New daily persistent headaches (NDPH) are daily headaches that begin in someone who doesn’t have a history of headaches. They could be a symptom of a serious problem. If the pain is severe or is getting worse, possible causes may include:

  • Bleeding in the brain

  • High fluid pressure in the brain

  • Brain tumor

  • Blood vessel disorders in the brain

  • Infection

  • Head injury

  • Spine disorders

These causes of headache require immediate medical attention.

RELATED: Can you get a headache from treating your headache? Medication overuse explained

Should I be worried about daily headaches?

Migraines, tension headaches, cluster headaches, and other regular headache problems aren’t life-threatening. The same applies to brief headaches caused by things like coughing or physical activity. However, if you have no history of headache disorders and start having daily headaches, then it’s time to get medical care. If the pain is severe or doesn’t get better, then emergency medical treatment may be needed.

Even so, chronic daily headaches do require treatment. At the very least, they interfere with daily life. At worst, they can be disabling. Left untreated, chronic daily headaches can result in complications like:

  • Reduced quality of life

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Unemployment

  • Vision loss

  • Seizures

  • Sleep problems

  • Blurred vision

How is the cause of daily headaches diagnosed?

A healthcare professional diagnoses daily headaches by taking a medical history, particularly a headache history. Be prepared to answer questions like:

  • Did your headache pain start suddenly, or have you had regular headaches before?

  • Have you been diagnosed with a cause for your headaches before?

  • How often do headaches occur? When do they occur?

  • How long do they last?

  • Where does it hurt?

  • Is the pain on one or both sides of your head?

  • What does the pain feel like?

  • How intense is the pain? Is it moderate pain? Severe pain?

  • Is there anything that makes your symptoms better or worse?

  • Are there any other symptoms such as nausea, tenderness, stiff neck, runny nose, watery eyes, sweating, vision changes, or pupil changes?

  • What happens before the headaches start? 

  • What medications do you take? How often?

  • Are there other problems such as weight loss, fever, skin rash, problems with memory or thinking, blurred vision, seizures, or eye pain?

In a physical examination, the healthcare provider will look for neurological symptoms, perform a head and neck examination, and look for any signs that the headaches may be caused by some other medical condition. In some cases, people may need to be referred to a neurologist or headache specialist.

For most headache diagnoses, X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs are not required. They will be used only if there are signs or symptoms that are concerning for something happening in the brain. 

RELATED: What is migraine? Your guide to talking about the condition

How long do chronic headaches last?

Depending on the underlying cause, chronic headaches can last for minutes (cough-induced headaches), a few hours (cluster headaches), many hours to days (migraines or tension headaches), or be constant (new daily persistent headaches).

RELATED: How long do migraines last?

How to stop frequent headaches

Most headache disorders require treatment. They can interfere with daily functioning, lower your quality of life, and lead to other problems like depression. 

How to treat daily headaches

Chronic headache treatments primarily focus on preventing headaches from occurring. Depending on the underlying headache disorder, treatment options include:

  • Prescription drugs

  • Cognitive or behavioral therapy

  • Lifestyle changes

  • Physical therapy

  • Biofeedback

  • Acupuncture

How to get rid of daily headaches

Once a headache starts, the way to stop it will depend on the type of headache:

  • Migraine and cluster headaches are typically stopped by headache medications including triptans, ergots, NSAIDs, or acetaminophen.

  • Tension headaches are often treated by over-the-counter pain relievers or prescription triptans, but can also be relieved by applying heat or ice to the muscles causing the headache.

  • Indomethacin, a prescription NSAID, is the pain reliever of choice for neuralgia headaches and hemicrania.

  • The only way to stop medication-overuse headaches is to stop taking the pain medications that are causing the rebound headaches. A healthcare provider may prescribe other medications or therapies to prevent and treat headaches during this time. 

RELATED: When to talk to your doctor about a prescription for migraine

Living with chronic headaches 

Living with chronic daily headaches can be difficult, but preventive treatment can help. Lifestyle changes and personal interventions can help to treat and prevent headaches:

  • Keep a headache diary. Record when headaches occur, how long they last, and how they feel. Make sure to note any activities or triggers that precede the headache and anything that seems to help.

  • Adopt good sleep hygiene habits. Go to bed around the same time every night. Wake up around the same time each morning. Relax before going to bed. You can meditate or take a bath. When you go to bed, turn off all the lights and get rid of all distractions.

  • Exercise

  • Maintain a healthy weight

  • Stop smoking

  • Avoid or limit caffeine

  • Reduce and manage stress

  • Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and Tai chi

  • Learn mindfulness and practice it when stressed or when a headache strikes

Most importantly, see a healthcare professional for treatment

Although daily headaches may not be life-threatening, they can be disabling. Visit a healthcare professional. If the headaches are due to another medical condition, treating it will also help the headaches. In some cases, that condition may need treatment sooner rather than later. If it is a headache disorder, preventive treatments do work at reducing both the frequency and severity of headaches. Even if you have already received a diagnosis, it’s worth another visit or a second opinion. Studies have found that 82% of non migraine headache diagnoses and 88% of sinus headache diagnoses were actually migraine headaches.

FAQs about the causes of daily headaches

Can stress or anxiety cause daily headaches?

Stress or anxiety are common triggers of migraine and tension headaches. Learning to manage stress and practice mindfulness can help reduce the incidence of migraine or tension headaches. 

RELATED: 6 surprising ways stress can affect your body

Can wearing a mask all day cause headaches?

Several studies have shown an association between the prolonged use of tight-fitting masks in healthcare workers and headaches. These tend to be tension or migraine headaches that are likely triggered by pressure from the headband for long periods of time. Wearing surgical masks or cloth masks for limited amounts of time have not been associated with headaches.

RELATED: Face masks 101: what you need to know about covering up

Can vaping cause daily headaches?

Headaches are the most common side effect of vaping. While the exact cause is not known, the headaches are probably caused by nicotine, flavors, or other chemicals in the vaping mist.

RELATED: The dangers of vaping—and how to help your teen quit

What causes headaches every morning?

Recurring morning headaches may be a symptom of medication-overuse headaches (MOH), a headache disorder that results from taking pain relievers too often. They occur in the morning because the pain relievers have worn off overnight. Other common causes of morning headaches include sleep problems like sleep apnea, grinding your teeth, drinking alcohol the night before, and muscle tension from your sleeping position.

What’s next? Additional resources for people with chronic daily headaches

Test and diagnostics

Treatments

Scientific studies and clinical trials

Medically reviewed by Anne Jacobson, MD, MPH
Board-Certified Family Physician

Anne Jacobson, MD, MPH, is a board-certified family physician, writer, editor, teacher, and consultant. She is a graduate of University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and trained at West Suburban Family Medicine in Oak Park, Illinois. She later completed a fellowship in community medicine at PCC Community Wellness and a master's in Public Health at the University of Illinois-Chicago. She lives with her family near Chicago.

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