These headaches are treated by determining the cause of the headache and treating or removing this cause

Opioids and butalbital are sometimes inappropriately used as treatment for migraine and headache and should be avoided in favor of more effective, migraine-specific treatments. Opioid and butalbital use can worsen headaches and cause MOH. When a patient fails to respond to other treatment or migraine specific treatment is unavailable, then opioids may be used.

Regular use of over-the-counter drugs such as paracetamol and NSAIDs can also be a cause of MOH. OTC medication for headache should be limited to use for not more than two days weekly. Concurrent with MOH, overuse of acetaminophen (AKA paracetamol in some countries) for treating headaches risks causing liver damage and NSAID overuse can cause gastrointestinal bleeding.

MOH is common and can be treated. The overused medications must be stopped for the patient's headache to resolve. Clinical data shows that the treatment of election is abrupt drugs withdrawal, followed by starting prophylactic therapy. However, the discontinuation of overused drugs usually leads to the worsening of headache and the appearance of drug withdrawal symptoms (that greatly depend on the previously overused drugs and typically last from two to ten days and that are relieved by the further intake of the overused medication), which might reinforce the continuation of overuse. Where physical dependence or a rebound effect such as rebound headache is possible, gradual reduction of medication may be necessary. It is important that the patient's physician be consulted before abruptly discontinuing certain medications as such a course of action has the potential to induce medically significant physical withdrawal symptoms. Abruptly discontinuing butalbital, for example, can actually induce seizures in some patients, although simple over the counter analgesics can safely be stopped by the patient without medical supervision. A long-acting analgesic/anti-inflammatory, such as naproxen (500 mg twice a day), can be used to ease headache during the withdrawal period. Two months after the completion of a medication withdrawal, patients suffering from MOH typically notice a marked reduction in headache frequency and intensity.

Drug withdrawal is performed very differently within and across countries. Most physicians prefer inpatients programmes, however effective drug withdrawal may also be achieved in an outpatient setting in uncomplicated MOH patients (i.e. subjects without important co-morbidities, not overusing opioids or ergotaminics and who are at their first detoxification attempt). In the absence of evidence-based indications, in MOH patients the choice of preventive agent should be based on the primary headache type (migraine or TTH), on the drug side-effect profile, on the presence of co-morbid and co-existent conditions, on patient’s preferences, and on previous therapeutic experiences.

Following an initial improvement of headache with the return to an episodic pattern, a relevant proportion (up to 45%) of patients relapse, reverting to the overuse of symptomatic drugs.

Predictors of the relapse, and that could influence treatment strategies, are considered the type of primary headache, from which MOH has evolved, and the type of drug abused (analgesics, and mostly combination of analgesics, but also drugs containing barbiturates or tranquillisers cause significantly higher relapse rates), while gender, age, duration of disease and previous intake of preventative treatment do not seem to predict relapse rate.

MOH is clearly a cause of disability and, if not adequately treated, it represents a condition of risk of possible co-morbidities associated to the excessive intake of drugs that are not devoid of side-effect. MOH can be treated through withdrawal of the overused drug(s) and by means of specific approaches that focus on the development of a close doctor-patient relationship in the post-withdrawal period.

Headaches due to environmental causes are usually diagnosed by taking an exposure history.

There is little evidence to support a long-term benefit from steroids, but they may be used until other medications take effect as they appear to be effective at three days. They are generally discontinued after 8–10 days of treatment.

Lithium, methysergide, and topiramate are recommended alternative treatments, although there is little evidence supporting the use of topiramate or methysergide. This is also true for tianeptine, melatonin and ergotamine. Valproate, sumatriptan and oxygen are not recommended as preventative measures. Botulinum toxin injections have shown limited success. Evidence for baclofen, botulinum toxin, and capsaicin is unclear.

Primary headache syndromes have many different possible treatments. In those with chronic headaches the long term use of opioids appears to result in greater harm than benefit.

Migraine can be somewhat improved by lifestyle changes, but most people require medicines to control their symptoms. Medications are either to prevent getting migraines, or to reduce symptoms once a migraine starts.

Preventive medications are generally recommended when people have more than four attacks of migraine per month, headaches last longer than 12 hours or the headaches are very disabling. Possible therapies include beta blockers, antidepressants, anticonvulsants and NSAIDs. The type of preventive medicine is usually chosen based on the other symptoms the person has. For example, if the person also has depression, an antidepressant is a good choice.

Abortive therapies for migraines may be oral, if the migraine is mild to moderate, or may require stronger medicine given intravenously or intramuscularly. Mild to moderate headaches should first be treated with acetaminophen (paracetamol) or NSAIDs, like ibuprofen. If accompanied by nausea or vomiting, an antiemitic such as metoclopramide (Reglan) can be given orally or rectally. Moderate to severe attacks should be treated first with an oral triptan, a medication which mimics serotonin (an agonist) and causes mild vasoconstriction. If accompanied by nausea and vomiting, parenteral (through a needle in the skin) triptans and antiemetics can be given.

Several complementary and alternative strategies can help with migraines. The American Academy of Neurology guidelines for migraine treatment in 2000 stated relaxation training, electromyographic feedback and cognitive behavioral therapy may be considered for migraine treatment, along with medications.

There is no specific treatment for NDPH. Often they are treated similar to migraines.

A number of medications have been used including amitriptyline, gabapentin, pregabalin, propranolol, and topiramate. There are no prospective placebo controlled trials of preventive treatment. In those with migrainous features treatment may be similar to migraines.

Opiates, or narcotics, tend to be avoided because of their side effects, including the development of medication overuse headaches and potential for dependency. NDPH is often associated with medication overuse. To avoid the development of medication overuse headaches, it is advised not to use pain relievers for more than nine days a month.

NDPH, like other primary headaches, has been linked to comorbid psychiatric conditions, mainly mood and anxiety and panic disorders. The spectrum of anxiety disorders, particularly panic disorder, should be considered in NDPH patients presenting with psychiatric symptoms. Simultaneous treatment of both disorders may lead to good outcomes.

Medications within the tetracycline family, mexiletine, corticosteroids and nerve blocks are being studied. Occipital nerve block have been reported to be helpful for some people. 23/71 people had undergone a nerve block for their severe headache. The NDPH-ICHD group responded to the nerve block much more often (88.9%) than the NDPH with migraine features (42.9% responded to nerve block).

Preventive migraine medications are considered effective if they reduce the frequency or severity of the migraine attacks by at least 50%. Guidelines are fairly consistent in rating topiramate, divalproex/sodium valproate, propranolol, and metoprolol as having the highest level of evidence for first-line use. Recommendations regarding effectiveness varied however for gabapentin and pregabalin. Timolol is also effective for migraine prevention and in reducing migraine attack frequency and severity, while frovatriptan is effective for prevention of menstrual migraine. Tentative evidence also supports the use of magnesium supplementation. Increasing dietary intake may be better.

Amitriptyline and venlafaxine are probably also effective. Angiotensin inhibition by either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor antagonist may reduce attacks. Botulinum toxin (Botox) has been found to be useful in those with chronic migraines but not those with episodic ones.

While acupuncture may be effective in reducing the number of migraines, "true" acupuncture has only a small effect when compared to sham acupuncture, a practice where needles are placed randomly. Both have a possibility of being similar in effectiveness to preventative medications with fewer adverse effects, however the long term effects of most migraine treatments are not known. Chiropractic manipulation, physiotherapy, massage and relaxation might be as effective as propranolol or topiramate in the prevention of migraine headaches; however, the research had some problems with methodology. The evidence to support spinal manipulation is poor and insufficient to support its use.

Tentative evidence supports the use of stress reduction techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, biofeedback, and relaxation techniques. Of the alternative medicines, butterbur has the best evidence for its use.

Most patients have persistent headaches, although about 15% will remit, and 8% will have a relapsing-remitting type. It is not infrequent for NDPH to be an intractable headache disorder that is unresponsive to standard headache therapies.

A physician may recommend engaging in sexual activity less strenuously. Case series have found indomethacin and beta blockers to be successful in treating these headaches. Propranolol, Bellergal, and triptans have also been used with success. Anecdotal and indirect evidence suggests a trial of magnesium supplementation may improve symptoms (in subjects with known or suspected low Mg levels).

Hypnic headaches are benign primary headaches that affect the elderly, with the average age of onset being 63 ± 11 years. They are moderate, throbbing, bilateral or unilateral headaches that wake the sufferer from sleep once or multiple times a night. They typically begin a few hours after sleep begins and can last from 15–180 min. There is normally no nausea, photophobia, phonophobia or autonomic symptoms associated with the headache. They commonly occur at the same time every night possibly linking the headaches with circadian rhythm, but polysomnography has recently revealed that the onset of hypnic headaches may be associated with REM sleep.

Lithium carbonate 200–600 mg at bedtime is an effective treatment for most patients but for those that can not tolerate Lithium, Verapamil, indomethacin or methylsergilide may be tried. Two patients have also responded to flunarizine 5 mg. It has also been shown that 1–2 cups of coffee or 100–200 mg of caffeine before bed can prevent hypnic headaches.

For diagnosis of hypnic headache syndrome, headaches should occur at least 15 times per month for at least one month. Included in the differential diagnosis of a new onset nighttime headaches in the elderly is drug withdrawal, temporal arteritis, Sleep apnea, oxygen desaturated, Pheochromocytoma, intracranial causes, primary and secondary neoplasms, communicating hydrocephalus, subdural hematoma, vascular lesions, migraines, cluster headaches, chronic paroxysmal hemicrania and hypnic headache. All other causes must be ruled out before the diagnosis of hypnic headache can be made.

Ophthalmodynia periodica does not have a confirmed cause, being a primary headache, but can be identified with other primary conditions. "As many as 40% of all individuals with ice pick headaches have also been diagnosed as suffering with some form of migraine headache."

The UK Food Standards Agency has recommended that pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake, out of prudence, to less than 200 mg of caffeine a day – the equivalent of two cups of instant coffee, or one and a half to two cups of fresh coffee. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) concluded in 2010 that caffeine consumption is safe up to 200 mg per day in pregnant women. For women who breastfeed, are pregnant, or may become pregnant, Health Canada recommends a maximum daily caffeine intake of no more than 300 mg, or a little over two 8 oz (237 mL) cups of coffee.

The evidence for or against the importance of limiting caffeine intake during pregnancy is insufficient and of low quality. There are conflicting reports in the scientific literature about caffeine consumption during pregnancy. A 2011 risk analysis review found that caffeine consumption during pregnancy does not appear to increase the risk of congenital malformations, miscarriage or growth retardation even when consumed in moderate to high amounts. There is some evidence that the hormonal changes during pregnancy slow the metabolic clearance of caffeine from the system, causing a given dose to have longer-lasting effects (as long as 15 hours in the third trimester). There is some evidence that higher caffeine intake by pregnant women may be associated with a higher risk of giving birth to a low birth weight baby, and may be associated with a higher risk of pregnancy loss. A systematic review, analyzing the results of observational studies, suggests that women who consume large amounts of caffeine (greater than 300 mg/day) prior to becoming pregnant may have a higher risk of experiencing pregnancy loss.

These headaches are estimated to appear in roughly 1% of the population. They can occur with sexual activity at any age. It is more common in men than women, with studies putting the gender ratio between 1.2:1 and 3:1.

For the general population of healthy adults, Health Canada advises a daily intake of no more than 400 mg.

In general, alcohol abusers with withdrawal symptoms, such as alcoholic hallucinosis, have a deficiency of several vitamins and minerals and their bodies could cope with the withdrawal easier by taking nutritional supplements. Alcohol abuse can create a deficiency of thiamine, magnesium, zinc, folate and phosphate as well as cause low blood sugar. However, several tested drugs have shown the disappearance of hallucinations. Neuroleptics and benzodiazepines showed normalization. Common benzodiazepines are chlordiazepoxide and lorazepam. It has been shown that management has been effective with a combination of abstinence from alcohol and the use of neuroleptics. It is also possible to treat withdrawal before major symptoms start to happen in the body. Diazepam and chlordiazepoxide have proven to be effective in treating alcohol withdrawal symptoms such as alcoholic halluciniosis. With the help of these specific medications, the process of withdrawal is easier to go through, making alcoholic hallucinosis less likely to occur.

Ophthalmodynia periodica was first discovered by a doctor in 1964, where the disorder was first referred to as ophthalmodynia periodica. Since then, the disorder has been referred to as idiopathic stabbing headache.

Discontinuing benzodiazepines or antidepressants abruptly due to concerns of teratogenic effects of the medications has a high risk of causing serious complications, so is not recommended. For example, abrupt withdrawal of benzodiazepines or antidepressants has a high risk of causing extreme withdrawal symptoms, including suicidal ideation and a severe rebound effect of the return of the underlying disorder if present. This can lead to hospitalisation and potentially, suicide. One study reported one-third of mothers who suddenly discontinued or very rapidly tapered their medications became acutely suicidal due to 'unbearable symptoms'. One woman had a medical abortion, as she felt she could no longer cope, and another woman used alcohol in a bid to combat the withdrawal symptoms from benzodiazepines. Spontaneous abortions may also result from abrupt withdrawal of psychotropic medications, including benzodiazepines. The study reported physicians generally are not aware of the severe consequences of abrupt withdrawal of psychotropic medications such as benzodiazepines or antidepressants.

Hangovers are poorly understood from a medical point of view. Health care professionals prefer to study alcohol abuse from a standpoint of treatment and prevention, and there is a view that the hangover provides a useful, natural and intrinsic disincentive to excessive drinking.

Within the limited amount of serious study on the subject, there is debate about whether a hangover may be prevented or at least mitigated. There is also a vast body of folk medicine and simple quackery. A four-page literature review in the "British Medical Journal" concludes: "No compelling evidence exists to suggest that any conventional or complementary intervention is effective for preventing or treating alcohol hangover. The most effective way to avoid the symptoms of alcohol induced hangover is to avoid drinking." Most remedies do not significantly reduce overall hangover severity. Some compounds reduce specific symptoms such as vomiting and headache, but are not effective in reducing other common hangover symptoms such as drowsiness and fatigue

Recommendations for foods, drinks and activities to relieve hangover symptoms abound. The ancient Romans, on the authority of Pliny the Elder, favored raw owl's eggs or fried canary, while the "prairie oyster" restorative, introduced at the 1878 Paris World Exposition, calls for raw egg yolk mixed with Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. By 1938, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel provided a hangover remedy in the form of a mixture of Coca-Cola and milk (Coca-Cola itself having been invented, by some accounts, as a hangover remedy). Alcoholic writer Ernest Hemingway relied on tomato juice and beer. Other purported hangover cures include cocktails such as Bloody Mary or Black Velvet (consisting of equal parts champagne and stout). A 1957 survey by an American folklorist found widespread belief in the efficacy of heavy fried foods, tomato juice and sexual activity.

Other untested or discredited treatments include:

- Hair of the dog: The belief is that consumption of further alcohol after the onset of a hangover will relieve symptoms, based upon the theory that the hangover represents a form of alcohol withdrawal and that by satiating the body's need for alcohol the symptoms will be relieved. Social drinkers and alcoholics claim that drinking more alcohol gives relief from hangover symptoms, but research shows that the use of alcohol as a hangover cure seems to predict current or future problem drinking and alcohol use disorder, through negative reinforcement and the development of physical dependence. While the practice is popular in tradition and promoted by many sellers of alcoholic beverages, medical opinion holds that the practice merely postpones the symptoms, and courts addiction. Favored choices include Fernet Branca and Bloody Mary.

- Kudzu ("Pueraria montana var. lobata"): The main ingredient in remedies such as kakkonto. A study concluded, "The chronic usage of "Pueraria lobata" at times of high ethanol consumption, such as in hangover remedies, may predispose subjects to an increased risk of acetaldehyde-related neoplasm and pathology. ... Pueraria lobata appears to be an inappropriate herb for use in herbal hangover remedies as it is an inhibitor of ALDH2."

- Artichoke: Research shows that artichoke extract does not prevent the signs and symptoms of alcohol-induced hangover.

- Sauna or steam-bath: Medical opinion holds this may be dangerous, as the combination of alcohol and hyperthermia increases the likelihood of dangerous cardiac arrhythmias.

- Oxygen: There have been anecdotal reports from those with easy access to a breathing oxygen supply – medical staff, and military pilots — that oxygen can also reduce the symptoms of hangovers sometimes caused by alcohol consumption. The theory is that the increased oxygen flow resulting from oxygen therapy improves the metabolic rate, and thus increases the speed at which toxins are broken down. However, one source states that (in an aviation context) oxygen has no effect on physical impairment caused by hangover.

- Fructose and glucose: Glucose and fructose significantly inhibit the metabolic changes produced by alcohol intoxication, nevertheless they have no significant effect on hangover severity.

- Vitamin B: No effects on alcohol metabolism, peak blood alcohol and glucose concentrations have been found and psychomotor function is not significantly improved when using Vitamin B supplements.

- Caffeinated drinks: No significant correlation between caffeine use and hangover severity has been found.

Failure to manage the alcohol withdrawal syndrome appropriately can lead to permanent brain damage or death. It has been proposed that brain damage due to alcohol withdrawal may be prevented by the administration of NMDA antagonists, calcium antagonists, and glucocorticoid antagonists.

It can be too difficult to withdraw from short- or intermediate-acting benzodiazepines because of the intensity of the rebound symptoms felt between doses. Moreover, short-acting benzodiazepines appear to produce a more intense withdrawal syndrome. For this reason, discontinuation is sometimes carried out by first substituting an equivalent dose of a short-acting benzodiazepine with a longer-acting one like diazepam or chlordiazepoxide. Failure to use the correct equivalent amount can precipitate a severe withdrawal reaction. Benzodiazepines with a half-life of more than 24 hours include chlordiazepoxide, diazepam, clobazam, clonazepam, chlorazepinic acid, ketazolam, medazepam, nordazepam, and prazepam. Benzodiazepines with a half-life of less than 24 hours include alprazolam, bromazepam, brotizolam, flunitrazepam, loprazolam, lorazepam, lormetazepam, midazolam, nitrazepam, oxazepam, and temazepam. The resultant equivalent dose is then gradually reduced. The reduction rate used in the Heather Ashton protocol calls for eliminating 10% of the remaining dose every two to four weeks, depending on the severity and response to reductions with the final dose at 0.5 mg dose of diazepam or 5 mg dose of chlordiazepoxide.