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Ice pick headaches are a type of headache disorder that causes unexpected, sharp, stabbing pains. Researchers aren’t sure what causes them. They’re difficult to treat because the pain lasts only a few seconds. Medications may help prevent future headaches.
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An ice pick headache (primary stabbing headache) is head pain that’s sudden, sharp and stabbing. This pain usually targets the area behind your forehead and eyes (frontal area) or the side of your head near your ears (temporal area), but it can occur anywhere in your head. It usually lasts a few seconds. It can be sporadic or occur in clusters. The location can change with each jab or jolt.
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This type of headache feels like an ice pick is chipping away at your head. An ice pick is a pointed metal tool used to break ice into smaller pieces.
An ice pick headache is more common among women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) and people who have another headache disorder like migraines, and they can affect anyone at any age. Some studies suggest that only about 2% of people worldwide experience these headaches. However, one Norwegian study found that 1 in 3 people had ice pick headaches.
Treatment options are available if you need it.
Ice pick headaches aren’t usually dangerous. Only in rare cases do they represent an underlying neurologic issue. But frequent headaches shouldn’t be ignored, especially if they happen with other symptoms like dizziness, nausea, watery eyes and a runny nose.
Let a healthcare provider know about your headaches. They can give you a diagnosis and tell you if they’re harmless or a sign of an underlying condition.
Experts aren’t sure what causes an ice pick headache. Research suggests that the nerve cells that process pain in your brain are overactive, which causes them to send pain signals more often than they should.
Research also suggests the following may contribute to an ice pick headache:
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Triggers are things in your environment that cause symptoms. Possible triggers of an ice pick headache may include:
These vary from person to person. Keep note of what you were doing before a headache happened to help you determine what triggers your symptoms.
Feeling strong emotions like stress or anxiety may trigger ice pick headache symptoms or intensify the pain you feel during a headache. Let a healthcare provider know if you get headaches when stressed or anxious. They may have recommendations to help you manage stress or anxiety to minimize how often headaches affect you.
An ice pick headache may cause head pain that feels:
An ice pick headache may cause a single stabbing pain or a series of quick pains. They may occur once a day or several times a day. It’s rare to get ice pick headaches over several consecutive days, so talk to a provider if you have frequent headaches.
If you have migraines, ice pick headache pain happens in the same location as migraine headache pain. If you don’t have migraines, head pain is usually in the front of your head, around your eyes and temples.
The stabbing pain that happens with an ice pick headache usually lasts less than three seconds. You may notice several stabs, which can last for a few seconds to minutes. You may have multiple headaches per day.
A healthcare provider will diagnose ice pick headaches after learning more about your symptoms. They’ll offer a physical exam and testing to rule out conditions with similar symptoms. Imaging tests like an MRI may give your healthcare provider more information about what’s happening inside your head.
Let your provider know if you get migraines or other types of headaches regularly. Ice pick headaches are common with migraines.
Ice pick headaches disappear quickly on their own. They don’t normally require treatment because the pain is usually gone by the time you take a medication (like a pain reliever).
But treatment is available if you need it. A healthcare provider may recommend the following medications to treat frequent ice pick headaches:
Your provider will tell you about any potential side effects of these medications so you can make an informed decision about your health.
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You might find some at-home headache coping techniques helpful to relieve an ice pick headache when it happens. These include:
Your healthcare provider may have more specific at-home remedy recommendations to help you.
The same steps you might take to reduce your risk of other headaches or migraines may also prevent ice pick headaches. You can try:
Ice pick headaches come and go quickly. They aren’t as debilitating as chronic migraines or headaches. But they are bothersome and can interrupt your day. You should see a healthcare provider if head pain lasts several days or interferes with your ability to work or complete daily activities.
You should call a healthcare provider if you experience sudden, stabbing head pain and:
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You may want to ask your healthcare provider:
Because ice pick headaches happen sporadically and go away so quickly, many people don’t tell their healthcare providers about them. You may just deal with the pain when it happens. But you don’t have to.
It’s important not to self-diagnose these headaches and to talk to a healthcare provider about your symptoms. Headaches may be more than a painful nuisance. In rare instances, they’re a sign of a more serious problem. Even if these headaches are mostly harmless, it helps to hear from an expert. They’ll make sure everything’s alright. Treatment options are available if you need them.
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Last reviewed on 08/13/2024.
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