Some headaches need more than a painkiller: when you need to see a doctor

Headaches are so common in India that many of us dismiss them without a second thought. We’ve collectively normalised these episodes by blaming the heat, the traffic, screens, and stress. Most often, people reach for a paracetamol and move on. But there’s a line, sometimes subtle, sometimes dramatic, where an ordinary headache stops being ordinary and may require a second look for closer medical evaluation. In a small number of cases, what lies behind persistent or unusual headaches may be something more serious, including a brain tumou r.