Headache Location Meaning: Where Is Your Headache?

Where Is Your Headache? What Headache Location Can Mean

Tap where it hurts to read what a headache in that place can mean, what helps, and when to get help. Explained by a Sydney neurologist.

When a Headache Needs Urgent Care

23 warning signs · scroll inside the boxSkip to the explainer

Where a headache sits is a clue, not a diagnosis. A few headache patterns need care straight away, wherever the pain is felt, so they come first.

Call 000 — or go to an emergency department — if

a headache comes on suddenly and severely and reaches its worst within a minute (the worst headache of your life), even if it then eases
a very high blood pressure reading (a top number of 180 or more, or a bottom number of 120 or more) comes with chest or back pain, shortness of breath, vomiting, problems with your eyesight, confusion or a seizure: call 000 straight away
your blood pressure is still very high when you measure it again after 5 minutes of sitting quietly, and you have a headache
the headache comes with fever and a stiff neck, a rash that does not fade when pressed, confusion or unusual drowsiness
you are over 50 with a new headache, or a change in your usual headaches, and you notice blurring, double vision, or sight that dims or goes dark in one eye, even if it lasts only a few minutes
the headache comes with sudden loss or dimming of vision (even if brief), double vision, a new drooping eyelid or one pupil larger than the other, slurred speech, sudden severe dizziness or unsteadiness, or numbness, weakness or drooping of the face, an arm or a leg
an eye becomes painful and red, with blurred vision, halos (coloured rings) around lights, or nausea and vomiting
the headache started after a head injury and is getting worse, comes with vomiting, drowsiness or confusion, or you take blood-thinning medicine
the headache comes with a seizure
you have a new, severe or unusual neck pain or headache after a neck injury, even with no other symptoms
there is swelling or redness around the eye and the eye bulges, hurts when you move it, or you have double vision or blurred vision, especially during a cold or sinus infection
you are 20 or more weeks pregnant or had a baby in the last 6 weeks and have a severe headache, a headache that does not get better with simple pain relief, blurred vision or flashing lights, sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet, pain under the ribs or in the upper tummy, vomiting with a headache, or a top number of 160 or more or a bottom number of 110 or more: go to your maternity unit or an emergency department now; call 000 for a seizure, trouble breathing or chest pain
you have a spinal cord injury at mid-chest level or higher and get a sudden, pounding headache, often with sweating or flushing above the injury: sit upright with your legs down, loosen anything tight, check your bladder, catheter and bowel, and follow your own dysreflexia plan if you have one; call 000 if it does not settle within a few minutes or you cannot find the cause

A sudden, explosive headache, wherever it is felt, can mean bleeding around or into the brain (a subarachnoid or intracerebral haemorrhage). A very high reading with chest or back pain or shortness of breath can mean the heart or the main artery from the heart is under strain; with vomiting, problems with eyesight, confusion or a seizure, it can mean the pressure is affecting the brain (hypertensive encephalopathy). A very high reading with a headache needs checking in an emergency department, because only tests can show whether the pressure is harming the brain, heart, eyes or kidneys. In someone over 50, a new headache with a change in vision can mean giant cell arteritis is cutting off the blood supply to the eye: treated the same day, sight can usually be saved, but sight that is lost rarely comes back. Weakness, numbness or drooping of the face, trouble speaking, sudden unsteadiness or a sudden loss of vision can mean a stroke. Double vision, a new drooping eyelid or a change in the size of one pupil can mean pressure on a nerve from a bulging blood vessel (an aneurysm) or a tear in the wall of an artery in the neck (a dissection). A painful red eye with blurred vision and halos can mean a sudden rise in the pressure inside the eye (acute angle-closure glaucoma), which can permanently damage sight if it is not treated quickly. After a head injury, bleeding inside the skull can build up over hours, sometimes after a spell of feeling well. Fever with a stiff neck, or a rash that does not fade when pressed, can mean meningitis. A seizure with a headache needs urgent checks for a cause in the brain. In pregnancy or after a birth, a severe headache can be the first sign of pre-eclampsia, a condition of high blood pressure in pregnancy that can lead to seizures; after a spinal cord injury, a pounding headache can be autonomic dysreflexia, a sudden surge in blood pressure set off by something below the injury, such as a full bladder. In both, a reading does not have to reach a top number of 180 or a bottom number of 120 to count: in pregnancy, a top number of 140 or more or a bottom number of 90 or more is high, and a top number of 160 or more or a bottom number of 110 or more is severe; after a spinal cord injury, a rise in the top number of 20 to 40 or more above your usual reading matters, and a top number of 130 can already be high. Neck pain or a headache after a neck injury can mean a tear in the wall of an artery in the neck (a dissection), which needs urgent treatment to prevent a stroke. Rarely, a sinus infection spreads into the eye socket, causing swelling and redness around the eye, a bulging eye, pain on moving the eye, or double vision; this is an emergency. All need urgent treatment. If you have migraine, your usual aura (shimmering or zigzag lines that spread slowly over several minutes and clear within an hour) does not need 000 on its own, and nor do the eye signs of attacks a doctor has already diagnosed as cluster headache (a red, watering eye, a drooping eyelid or a smaller pupil). A first cluster-like attack, a first aura after 50, or an attack or aura that is different from your usual ones needs an emergency department the same day; call 000 if it comes with a new drooping eyelid, one pupil larger than the other, or a very high reading. In the same way, vomiting in your usual migraine attack does not need 000 on its own; with a very high reading, it does. Remember FAST: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 000.

See your GP the same day if

it is a new headache, or a change in your usual headaches, and you are over 50, especially with a new tender scalp that does not go away, pain in the jaw when you chew that eases when you stop, aching shoulders, or feeling generally unwell; with any change in your vision, see the list above
your blood pressure is still very high (a top number of 180 or more, or a bottom number of 120 or more) when you measure it again, even if the headache has gone and you feel well (in pregnancy and after a spinal cord injury, lower readings count: see above)
the headache is getting steadily worse over days or weeks
the headache is worse when you lie down, or is worst on waking and comes with vomiting or blurred vision
the headache is brought on by coughing, sneezing, laughing or straining, or comes with a whooshing sound in the ears in time with your heartbeat
you have a fever with the headache
it is a new headache, or a change in your usual headaches, and you have, or have had, cancer, or you have a weakened immune system
you are pregnant or have had a baby in the last 6 weeks, or a reading taken from 20 weeks of pregnancy to 6 weeks after the birth has a top number of 140 or more or a bottom number of 90 or more: contact your midwife, maternity unit or GP the same day; with blurred vision or sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet, contact your maternity unit or go to hospital now
a rash of small blisters appears on one side of the forehead, temple or scalp or around one eye, often after 2 or 3 days of burning or tingling pain there: if the rash reaches the tip of the nose, or the eye becomes red, painful or blurred, go to an emergency department the same day
a first attack of severe pain in or around one eye or temple, with a red or watering eye or a blocked or runny nostril on that side, or, if you have cluster headache, an attack unlike your usual ones: go to an emergency department the same day; with a new drooping eyelid or one pupil larger than the other, call 000

Fever can mean an infection. Cancer, a weakened immune system, and pregnancy or a recent birth each make some serious causes more likely, so the bar for checking is lower. A very high reading without symptoms is rarely an emergency, but it needs a doctor that day to start or adjust treatment. If you cannot see your GP that day, go to an emergency department. Shingles on the forehead or around the eye can affect the eye, and treatment works best when it is started early. If something matches both lists, follow the 000 list.

If none of these fits

These warning signs matter more than the place the pain is felt. The same place can hurt for different reasons, and different places can share a cause. If none of them fits, the map below shows what a headache in each place can mean; if a headache is new, changing or worrying you, see your GP.

Tap Where It Hurts

Tap a shaded area on the head, or use the list under the map. Each one opens the page on that place. Check the warning signs above first: a first severe attack of pain in or around one eye can need an emergency department the same day.

Front

Side

All over, or like a tight band Stabs that last seconds, in different places Sudden, worst within a minute: call 000

Headache Locations, One by One

The same links as the map, for anyone who prefers a list.

Not where it hurts, but when

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of headache do I have based on location? +

Where a headache sits is a clue, not a diagnosis. The same place can hurt for different reasons, and different places can share a cause. The map on this page links each place to a page that explains what a headache there can mean. Call 000 if a headache comes on suddenly and severely and reaches its worst within a minute (the worst headache of your life), even if it then eases. The other warning signs are listed at the top of this page, and they matter more than the place.

Can the same headache move? +

Yes. A headache can start in one place and be felt in another, or sit in a different place from one attack to the next, so the place alone does not tell you the cause. A new headache, or a change in your usual headaches, is worth raising with your GP. Call 000 if a headache comes on suddenly and severely and reaches its worst within a minute (the worst headache of your life), even if it then eases.

When should I see a doctor about where my headache is? +

The place matters less than the pattern. Call 000 if a headache comes on suddenly and severely and reaches its worst within a minute (the worst headache of your life), even if it then eases. Call 000 too if a headache comes with sudden loss or dimming of vision, double vision, slurred speech, numbness, weakness or drooping of the face, an arm or a leg, a seizure, or a fever with a stiff neck or a rash that does not fade when pressed. The full list of warning signs is at the top of this page. See your GP the same day if a new headache, or a change in your usual headaches, is getting steadily worse over days or weeks, comes with a fever, or happens when you are over 50. For a headache that keeps returning or worries you, ask your GP for a referral to Dr Ron Granot, a neurologist with a special interest in headache, in Bondi Junction.

Important: This page is general health information for adults living in Australia and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. If you have a sudden headache that reaches its worst within a minute, whether it feels severe or only moderate, even if it eases, a sudden headache during sex, hard exercise, coughing or straining, a sudden headache with new neck pain or after a neck injury, a very high blood pressure reading with a headache, a headache with a stiff neck and fever, confusion, a rash that does not fade when pressed, fainting, collapse or a seizure, a headache with weakness, numbness or drooping of the face, an arm or a leg, sudden loss of vision, double vision, slurred speech or sudden unsteadiness, a painful red eye with blurred vision, a headache that is getting worse or comes with vomiting after a head injury, clear fluid or blood from the nose or an ear after a head injury, or, if you are over 50, a new headache with blurring, double vision or dimming of sight, or any other warning sign listed at the top of this page, call 000 or go to an emergency department. If you are 20 or more weeks pregnant or had a baby in the last 6 weeks and have a severe headache, vomiting with a headache, blurred vision or flashing lights, go to your maternity unit or an emergency department now; a sudden headache that reaches its worst within a minute needs 000. Diagnosis and treatment decisions are made on an individual basis with your treating doctor.

This number is not an emergency line. For a sudden headache, call 000.

Is a Headache Worrying You?

Book a consultation with Dr Ron Granot — neurologist with a special interest in headache, Bondi Junction. Ask your GP for a referral, then get in touch.

Book a Consultation

Call Us02 9388 0615

LocationSuite 301, Bondi Junction

Emailreception@eastneurology.com.au

Last reviewed: 7 November 2026 by Dr Ron Granot, FRACP — Consultant Neurologist, East Neurology, Bondi Junction.