Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDurationWhat Makes Them Last LongerTreatmentWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Duration
What Makes Them Last Longer
Treatment
When to See a Provider
COVID headaches may last hours and come back frequently for weeks or months. COVID headaches can disrupt everyday quality of life, and research is ongoing as to what causes them to develop and the best ways to treat them.
This article talks about timelines for COVID headaches, including factors that appear to be associated with longer-lasting COVID headaches and when it’s time to talk to a healthcare provider about them.
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Duration of COVID Headache
Headache is one of the most common neurological symptoms of COVID-19,includinglong COVID.
A systematic review and meta-analysis found the global prevalence of headaches associated with COVID-19 to be approximately 25%.This means that about one in every four people experience headaches when they get COVID-19. The same study showed that headache is almost twice as common in people with COVID-19 compared to people with other respiratory viral infections.
COVID headaches appear to affect certain populations more than others. For example, studies have shown that COVID headache, including headache associated with long COVID, tends to affect more females than males,and younger people (under 50 years of age) than older people.
COVID headaches have been described as similar totension headachesandmigraines. Studies have shown that people with long COVID more commonly get tension-type headaches.Long COVID headache is often described as moderate to severe and may occur along with other long COVID symptoms, such as:
Long COVID SymptomsSome people who get COVID-19 experience long-term symptoms, referred to as long COVID. There are a wide range of long COVID symptoms, which may last weeks, months, or years after getting sick with COVID.Commonlong COVID symptomsinclude heart and respiratory symptoms (such as difficulty breathing or cough), neurological symptoms (such as brain fog, sleep problems, headache), and digestive symptoms (such as stomach pain or diarrhea).
Long COVID Symptoms
Some people who get COVID-19 experience long-term symptoms, referred to as long COVID. There are a wide range of long COVID symptoms, which may last weeks, months, or years after getting sick with COVID.Commonlong COVID symptomsinclude heart and respiratory symptoms (such as difficulty breathing or cough), neurological symptoms (such as brain fog, sleep problems, headache), and digestive symptoms (such as stomach pain or diarrhea).
Some people who get COVID-19 experience long-term symptoms, referred to as long COVID. There are a wide range of long COVID symptoms, which may last weeks, months, or years after getting sick with COVID.
Commonlong COVID symptomsinclude heart and respiratory symptoms (such as difficulty breathing or cough), neurological symptoms (such as brain fog, sleep problems, headache), and digestive symptoms (such as stomach pain or diarrhea).
Average Timeline
A different cross-sectional study of 122 people with COVID-19 found that headache lasted approximately 14 hours on average, and younger people (less than 40 years of age) had longer headaches, for an average of 19 hours.
COVID headaches can persist for weeks or months after recovery from COVID-19. One small study found that COVID headaches stopped within one month after recovery from COVID-19 for 56% of participants, while it took three months to resolve for 28% of participants.
Headaches associated with long COVID have been shown to be more persistent, potentially lingering more than six months after getting sick with COVID-19.
Given such a wide range of headache duration across studies, it can be difficult to estimate how long a COVID headache can be expected to last on an individual basis. It’s best to talk with a healthcare provider about when COVID headaches might resolve for you based on your health history and individual characteristics.
What Makes COVID Headaches Last Longer?
There is no single cause as to why COVID headaches last longer in some people than others. Scientists are still studying how and why COVID-19 leads to headaches, and there are currently only hypotheses and no solid evidence.
One study explained three hypotheses as to how COVID-19 and headaches are related. One hypothesis is that infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 disrupts therenin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which then leads to increased levels ofcalcitonin gene-related peptide, a protein in the nervous system known to be involved in headache attacks.
Another hypothesis is that the viral infection causes an increase in proinflammatory cytokines, chemicals that induce an inflammatory response and indirectly cause headaches.Higher levels of inflammatory cytokines, specifically IL-6, have been shown to be associated with longer headache duration.
Yet another hypothesis is that the virus disrupts gas exchange in the lung tissues, leading to insufficient oxygen, and in turn leads toischemia(tissue damage due to reduced blood flow), which has been shown to be related to headaches.The mechanisms behind the development of COVID headache are thought to be similar across COVID-19 variants.
As noted above, younger age and having recurrent headaches (not associated with COVID-19) also seem to be associated with longer headaches. One study showed that people under 40 with COVID-19 had headaches that lasted approximately 19 hours on average versus approximately six hours for people older than 40.
Another study found that among people with an existing headache disorder, COVID headaches lasted 12 hours on average versus six hours for people without an existing headache disorder.A different study found that people who had long COVID headaches for nine months were slightly older (52 versus 47 years of age) and more often female (76% females versus 66% males).
In addition, the presence of headaches in the initial stages of COVID-19 appears to be a risk factor for the development (or persistence) of headaches after COVID-19.
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Treatments to Manage COVID Headaches
Treatments for COVID headaches, specifically, are still being studied, and it’s best to talk with a healthcare provider about a treatment plan for your COVID headaches based on the type of headache, frequency, and severity.
For example, current treatments for long COVID headaches are based on treatment recommendations for “regular” headaches, including migraines and tension-type headaches, and may take into account other long COVID symptoms like sleep problems and brain fog.
Treatment of COVID headache might involve both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. For example, analgesics (painkillers) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) might be prescribed to help with tension-type andmigraine-like COVID headaches.
Non-pharmacological treatment approaches, such as lifestyle changes, psychological therapy, and physical therapy, might not directly treat COVID headache but may be helpful in the everyday management of living with COVID headache.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If your COVID headaches are persistent or get worse over time, ask a healthcare provider for an evaluation. Be prepared to describe your headaches, including the type of pain (e.g., throbbing, dull), how long the headache usually lasts, and how many you get in a week.
Seek medical attention right away if your headache is intolerable or feels like the worst headache you’ve ever had. In addition, see a healthcare provider right away if any of the following symptoms accompany your severe headache:
A Word From VerywellHeadache is a common symptom of COVID-19 infection and can often be treated with home remedies and over-the-counter medications.—GEETIKA GUPTA, MD, MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Headache is a common symptom of COVID-19 infection and can often be treated with home remedies and over-the-counter medications.—GEETIKA GUPTA, MD, MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD
Headache is a common symptom of COVID-19 infection and can often be treated with home remedies and over-the-counter medications.
—GEETIKA GUPTA, MD, MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD
Summary
Headache is a common symptom of COVID-19 and may persist after recovery from COVID or as part of living with long COVID. COVID headache varies in duration, usually lasting for hours, and may recur frequently for weeks or months.
Research is ongoing on how the virus causes headaches and what makes COVID headaches long-lasting. COVID headache treatment may include medication and non-medical approaches, like lifestyle changes and therapy.
A Note on Gender and Sex TerminologyVerywell Health acknowledges thatsex and gender are related concepts, but they are not the same. To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
A Note on Gender and Sex Terminology
Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and gender are related concepts, but they are not the same. To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
10 SourcesVerywell 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.Chwalisz BK, Le VK, Cheng JR, Jain A, Brandon Westover M, Cheng HT.COVID-19-induced headache in Boston and the vicinity.J Clin Virol Plus. 2023;3(2):100148. doi:10.1016/j.jcvp.2023.100148Mutiawati E, Syahrul S, Fahriani M, et al.Global prevalence and pathogenesis of headache in COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.F1000Res. 2020;9:1316. doi:10.12688/f1000research.27334.2Tana C, Bentivegna E, Cho SJ, et al.Long COVID headache.J Headache Pain.2022;23(1):93. doi:10.1186/s10194-022-01450-8Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Cuadrado ML, Gómez-Mayordomo V, García-Azorín D, Arendt-Nielsen L.Headache as a COVID-19 onset symptom or post-COVID symptom according to the SARS-CoV-2 variant.Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2023;23(2):179-186. doi:10.1080/14737175.2023.2185138Rodrigues AN, Dias ARN, Paranhos ACM, et al.Headache in long COVID as disabling condition: a clinical approach.Front Neurol. 2023;14:1149294. doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1149294Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Long COVID or post-COVID conditions.Magdy R, Hussein M, Ragaie C, et al.Characteristics of headache attributed to COVID-19 infection and predictors of its frequency and intensity: a cross sectional study.Cephalalgia. 2020;40(13):1422-1431. doi:10.1177/0333102420965140Al-Hashel JY, Abokalawa F, Alenzi M, Alroughani R, Ahmed SF.Coronavirus disease-19 and headache; impact on pre-existing and characteristics of de novo: a cross-sectional study.J Headache Pain. 2021;22(1):97. doi:10.1186/s10194-021-01314-7Karadaş Ö, Öztürk B, Sonkaya AR, Taşdelen B, Özge A, Bolay H.Latent class cluster analysis identified hidden headache phenotypes in COVID-19: impact of pulmonary infiltration and IL-6.Neurol Sci. 2021;42(5):1665-1673. doi:10.1007/s10072-020-04978-2Johns Hopkins Medicine.Headache.
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.Chwalisz BK, Le VK, Cheng JR, Jain A, Brandon Westover M, Cheng HT.COVID-19-induced headache in Boston and the vicinity.J Clin Virol Plus. 2023;3(2):100148. doi:10.1016/j.jcvp.2023.100148Mutiawati E, Syahrul S, Fahriani M, et al.Global prevalence and pathogenesis of headache in COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.F1000Res. 2020;9:1316. doi:10.12688/f1000research.27334.2Tana C, Bentivegna E, Cho SJ, et al.Long COVID headache.J Headache Pain.2022;23(1):93. doi:10.1186/s10194-022-01450-8Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Cuadrado ML, Gómez-Mayordomo V, García-Azorín D, Arendt-Nielsen L.Headache as a COVID-19 onset symptom or post-COVID symptom according to the SARS-CoV-2 variant.Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2023;23(2):179-186. doi:10.1080/14737175.2023.2185138Rodrigues AN, Dias ARN, Paranhos ACM, et al.Headache in long COVID as disabling condition: a clinical approach.Front Neurol. 2023;14:1149294. doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1149294Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Long COVID or post-COVID conditions.Magdy R, Hussein M, Ragaie C, et al.Characteristics of headache attributed to COVID-19 infection and predictors of its frequency and intensity: a cross sectional study.Cephalalgia. 2020;40(13):1422-1431. doi:10.1177/0333102420965140Al-Hashel JY, Abokalawa F, Alenzi M, Alroughani R, Ahmed SF.Coronavirus disease-19 and headache; impact on pre-existing and characteristics of de novo: a cross-sectional study.J Headache Pain. 2021;22(1):97. doi:10.1186/s10194-021-01314-7Karadaş Ö, Öztürk B, Sonkaya AR, Taşdelen B, Özge A, Bolay H.Latent class cluster analysis identified hidden headache phenotypes in COVID-19: impact of pulmonary infiltration and IL-6.Neurol Sci. 2021;42(5):1665-1673. doi:10.1007/s10072-020-04978-2Johns Hopkins Medicine.Headache.
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.
Chwalisz BK, Le VK, Cheng JR, Jain A, Brandon Westover M, Cheng HT.COVID-19-induced headache in Boston and the vicinity.J Clin Virol Plus. 2023;3(2):100148. doi:10.1016/j.jcvp.2023.100148Mutiawati E, Syahrul S, Fahriani M, et al.Global prevalence and pathogenesis of headache in COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.F1000Res. 2020;9:1316. doi:10.12688/f1000research.27334.2Tana C, Bentivegna E, Cho SJ, et al.Long COVID headache.J Headache Pain.2022;23(1):93. doi:10.1186/s10194-022-01450-8Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Cuadrado ML, Gómez-Mayordomo V, García-Azorín D, Arendt-Nielsen L.Headache as a COVID-19 onset symptom or post-COVID symptom according to the SARS-CoV-2 variant.Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2023;23(2):179-186. doi:10.1080/14737175.2023.2185138Rodrigues AN, Dias ARN, Paranhos ACM, et al.Headache in long COVID as disabling condition: a clinical approach.Front Neurol. 2023;14:1149294. doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1149294Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Long COVID or post-COVID conditions.Magdy R, Hussein M, Ragaie C, et al.Characteristics of headache attributed to COVID-19 infection and predictors of its frequency and intensity: a cross sectional study.Cephalalgia. 2020;40(13):1422-1431. doi:10.1177/0333102420965140Al-Hashel JY, Abokalawa F, Alenzi M, Alroughani R, Ahmed SF.Coronavirus disease-19 and headache; impact on pre-existing and characteristics of de novo: a cross-sectional study.J Headache Pain. 2021;22(1):97. doi:10.1186/s10194-021-01314-7Karadaş Ö, Öztürk B, Sonkaya AR, Taşdelen B, Özge A, Bolay H.Latent class cluster analysis identified hidden headache phenotypes in COVID-19: impact of pulmonary infiltration and IL-6.Neurol Sci. 2021;42(5):1665-1673. doi:10.1007/s10072-020-04978-2Johns Hopkins Medicine.Headache.
Chwalisz BK, Le VK, Cheng JR, Jain A, Brandon Westover M, Cheng HT.COVID-19-induced headache in Boston and the vicinity.J Clin Virol Plus. 2023;3(2):100148. doi:10.1016/j.jcvp.2023.100148
Mutiawati E, Syahrul S, Fahriani M, et al.Global prevalence and pathogenesis of headache in COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.F1000Res. 2020;9:1316. doi:10.12688/f1000research.27334.2
Tana C, Bentivegna E, Cho SJ, et al.Long COVID headache.J Headache Pain.2022;23(1):93. doi:10.1186/s10194-022-01450-8
Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Cuadrado ML, Gómez-Mayordomo V, García-Azorín D, Arendt-Nielsen L.Headache as a COVID-19 onset symptom or post-COVID symptom according to the SARS-CoV-2 variant.Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2023;23(2):179-186. doi:10.1080/14737175.2023.2185138
Rodrigues AN, Dias ARN, Paranhos ACM, et al.Headache in long COVID as disabling condition: a clinical approach.Front Neurol. 2023;14:1149294. doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1149294
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Long COVID or post-COVID conditions.
Magdy R, Hussein M, Ragaie C, et al.Characteristics of headache attributed to COVID-19 infection and predictors of its frequency and intensity: a cross sectional study.Cephalalgia. 2020;40(13):1422-1431. doi:10.1177/0333102420965140
Al-Hashel JY, Abokalawa F, Alenzi M, Alroughani R, Ahmed SF.Coronavirus disease-19 and headache; impact on pre-existing and characteristics of de novo: a cross-sectional study.J Headache Pain. 2021;22(1):97. doi:10.1186/s10194-021-01314-7
Karadaş Ö, Öztürk B, Sonkaya AR, Taşdelen B, Özge A, Bolay H.Latent class cluster analysis identified hidden headache phenotypes in COVID-19: impact of pulmonary infiltration and IL-6.Neurol Sci. 2021;42(5):1665-1673. doi:10.1007/s10072-020-04978-2
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Headache.
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