Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHead Pressure, Coughing, and PainSevere SymptomsCausesOTC and At-Home TreatmentMedical Treatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Head Pressure, Coughing, and Pain
Severe Symptoms
Causes
OTC and At-Home Treatment
Medical Treatment
Having a headache when you are coughing is not uncommon. It isn’t usually something to worry about, as head discomfort can occur due to the pressure of sudden head movements, such as laughing or sneezing.
Mild upper respiratory infections and sinus infections can cause coughs and headaches that should resolve when the infection clears up. Ongoingtension headachesandmigraine headachesusually worsen with head movements, such as coughing or leaning over.
This article discusses how coughing and headaches could be related and when this combination is something to worry about. It also discusses what steps you can take to relieve your symptoms.
Ekaterina Goncharova / Getty Images
Coughing, sneezing, bending over, and laughing all cause slight changes in the position of your body. These changes can lead to head or neck pressure that may exacerbate head pain, especially if you already have a headache.Generally, coughing or moving your head shouldn’t independently cause a headache that wasn’t already there.
Head pain that is associated with coughing or other quick movements can feel like:
If you experience these symptoms for just a couple minutes when you cough, sneeze, or move around—it is due to the fact that pressure in your head can worsen pain.
Severe Symptoms of Cough and Headache
If you have severe head pain whenever you cough or if your head pain only occurs with certain physical movements, you could have a serious problem.
Serious symptoms of cough and headache that require prompt medical attention include:
Conditions That Cause Cough Headaches
Numerous conditions that can cause cough-associated headaches. Most of these conditions are mild and can resolve with medical treatment, rest, and staying hydrated.
These conditions cause:
Each time you cough, your headache can feel worse due to rapid positional changes of your head.
Common causes of a cough combined with a headache include:
Serious causes of a cough combined with a headache include:
Primary vs. Secondary Headache
Primary headache:Headache disorders—like migraine and tension headaches—cause primary headaches. These headaches are not dangerous and can be relieved with pain treatment or specific headache therapies.
Drugstore and At-Home Treatment
If you have a cough and your head pain seems to get worse every time you cough, treating the cough can help reduce your pain with sudden head movements.
Mild pain treatment may also help alleviate the constant head pain that worsens every time you cough, sneeze, or move your head.
For headaches, you can use these home remedies:
OTC treatments for headaches include:
Seeing a Provider for Severe Cough Headache Treatment
If you have a severe, persistent cough or if you are concerned about your symptoms, you should see a healthcare provider. It’s important to check with your healthcare provider to decide if you need to be seen promptly or if you can wait and make an appointment.
In rare instances, a severe cough can lead to problems that cause a headache. While it isn’t common, a cough can induce abrain hemorrhage(bleeding in the brain).This can cause a sudden headache that’s especially painful—often called a thunderclap headache.
Treatment for a Cough
Most conditions that cause a cough are not treatable with antibiotics.In some instances, bacterial infection can lead to a cough.If you have a bacterial infection, you may benefit from antibiotic treatment.
However, if you do not have a bacterial infection, there is absolutely no benefit to using antibiotics. In fact, antibiotics contribute to the development of resistant bacterial strains.
Talk to a healthcare provider about the best treatment for the cough. In some cases, they can prescribe a prescriptioncough suppressant.
Headache Treatment
Many effective treatments can provide pain relief for a headache. Talk to a healthcare provider about which home remedies and OTC treatments they recommend for your condition.
Prescription treatments for headache andmigrainesinclude:
Medications for Treating Migraine Headaches
Summary
Cough and headache can go hand in hand. A cough can exacerbate any type of headache. Of the many causes of cough, some can also lead to mild or moderate headaches.
If you have both a cough and headache, you can expect to have slightly worse head pain every time you cough. However, if you are coughing up blood, or if you only have headaches when you cough, this could be a sign of a serious condition—and you need to seek medical attention.
Effective treatments can help relieve your head pain and can also help relieve your cough. Your healthcare provider will help advise you regarding home remedies, over-the-counter treatments, and prescription therapies.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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