My girlfriend has been having a migraine for a week now. it's gotten more painful today. does she need to see a doctor or just take a medicine? 26yo

Severity?: If its the worst headache of her life, then she definitely needs to be evaluated for a bleed in the brain. Go to the nearest er and they will cat scan her brain. If its normal they'll most likely give her meds and send her home. If its mild, she needs to see a neurologist!

Depends: Pain is a warning sign. Migraines cause pain. So it depends on how much pain makes your girlfriend heed the warning. She should see a doctor, and can be proactive by logging her migraines, including info like time of day, foods eaten, meds taken, recent activities, etc etc. If there is a common thread to the migraines, you may be able to eliminate them. The doctor will help with this.

See a doctor: If someone has the worst headache of one's life (something on the order of a 10 out 10 on a pain scale), then that person should seek immediate attention. Sometimes what one thinks is a migraine may not be one. However if the pain is moderate (5/10 on pain scale), one may try to take advil (ibuprofen) or excedrin. If the pain persists as it has for a wk, then it is best to call one's doctor for evaluatn.