Many patients have headaches. If your pain is easily managed by over-the-counter (OTC) medications, you do not need to see a doctor. When your headaches become disabling either because of frequency or severity, you should be seen. I would say that if you are using OTC medications more than twice per week, a doctor specializing in headaches can offer various options which could improve your life and lessen the frequency of your headaches. Similarly, if your headaches are so severe that you have trouble finding relief of pain or require an emergency room visit for headache, a visit to a headache specialist is warranted. The purpose of seeing a doctor for headaches is to increase your quality of life by reducing your pain and decreasing the effect that headaches, as a chronic condition, have on your life.
