Is a headache or migraine making it hard to get through your day? When the pain or other symptoms become difficult to manage, timely care can help you get relief and return to your routine.
A headache may feel like pressure, tightness, or aching in the head. A migraine is often more intense and may cause throbbing pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light or sound.
If you need headache treatment in Chicago & Northwest Indiana, Family Urgent Care offers walk-in evaluation and treatment for both headaches and migraines.
Headache vs. Migraine: What’s the Difference?
Headaches and migraines can feel similar, but they are not the same. Knowing the difference can help you better understand your symptoms and when to seek care.
| Headache | Migraine |
|---|---|
| Pressure or tightness | Throbbing or pulsing |
| Mild to moderate | Moderate to severe |
| Often both sides of the head | Often affects one side of the head, but it can also affect both sides. |
| Nausea is usually not present; light or sound sensitivity is less common. | Nausea, vomiting, and light or sound sensitivity are common. |
| Often lasts from 30 minutes to several hours | Often lasts 4 to 72 hours |
Common Causes of Headaches
Understanding what may be causing a headache can help guide the right next steps for care.
Common causes and triggers include:
- Fever
- Eye strain
- Dehydration
- Sinus infections or
- congestion
- Muscle tension in the neck or shoulders
If headaches happen often or become severe, you should seek medical care.
When to Go to Urgent Care for a Headache or Migraine
For a Headache
- The headache has lasted 24–48 hours and is not improving with rest, fluids, or OTC pain medicine.
- Headaches are happening more often than usual.
- The pain keeps returning after medicine provides only temporary relief.
- The headache is making it difficult to work, study, sleep, or complete daily tasks.
For a Migraine
- Your usual migraine medicine is not providing enough relief.
- The migraine is lasting longer than your usual attacks.
- Nausea or vomiting is making it difficult to drink fluids, eat, or take medicine.
- Throbbing pain or sensitivity to light and sound is becoming difficult to manage at home.
- Your migraine attacks are becoming more frequent or harder to control.
At Family Urgent Care, same-day evaluation makes it easier to get appropriate care without waiting several days for an appointment.
Go to the emergency room right away if your headache starts suddenly and is extremely severe, follows a head injury, or comes with confusion, weakness, trouble speaking, loss of vision, seizures, or fainting.
Why Choose Family Urgent Care for Headache & Migraine Treatment?
When your head is pounding, getting care shouldn’t be complicated. That’s why patients keep coming back to Family Urgent Care for fast, convenient headache and migraine care.
Same-Day Evaluation
Headaches don’t always follow your schedule. Our walk-in availability gives you access to prompt evaluation when symptoms suddenly interfere with your day.
Experienced Medical Providers
Our providers review your symptoms, health history, possible triggers, and other relevant factors to understand what may be contributing to your symptoms.
Insurance Options for Headache and Migraine Care
Family Urgent Care accepts a range of insurance plans for headache and migraine visits. Check your coverage before your visit to better understand your benefits and expected costs.
Convenient Locations
Patients looking for headache treatment in Chicago & Northwest Indiana or migraine care nearby can access convenient Family Urgent Care locations for same-day evaluation and treatment closer to home.
How We Evaluate Headaches and Migraines
Your provider will review your symptoms and medical history to determine the appropriate next steps. During your visit, they may:
- Review any related symptoms
- Perform a physical examination
- Discuss possible causes or triggers
- Review your medications and medical history
- Review pain severity and how often symptoms occur
- Ask when your symptoms began and where the pain is located.
Treatment depends on your symptoms, medical history, and evaluation. If you are looking for an urgent care migraine shot, your provider can determine whether injectable medication or another treatment option may be appropriate.
FAQs
Urgent care providers may prescribe migraine medication when appropriate. The type of medication depends on your symptoms, medical history, and current medications. Recurring migraines may also need follow-up with a primary care provider or specialist.
In some cases, a provider may recommend a combination of medications, often called a migraine cocktail. Whether this is appropriate depends on your symptoms and medical evaluation.
A provider may review when your symptoms started, where the pain is located, how severe it is, and whether you have had similar migraines before. They may also check your vital signs and medical history before recommending treatment.
A migraine often causes moderate to severe, throbbing or pulsing head pain. It may also come with nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound.
Not every headache is a migraine. Migraines often cause more intense pain and may include nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound. A medical evaluation can help identify the type of headache you may be experiencing.
Not always. Some people notice warning symptoms before the head pain begins, while others develop migraine pain without any clear warning signs.
Migraine symptoms can last for several hours and, in some cases, a few days. If a migraine lasts longer than usual, feels different from your typical episodes, or becomes unusually severe, seek medical care.