Headache: Difference between revisions
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In these lists, headache can be anything from mildly irritating to acutely life-threatening. It is one of the most common presentations in [[primary care]]; differentiating between | In these lists, headache can be anything from mildly irritating to acutely life-threatening. It is one of the most common presentations in [[primary care]]; differentiating between | ||
===Acute=== | ===Acute=== | ||
[[image: | [[image:braindamage.jpg|thumb|right|300px|This young lady has a chronic headache. Not sure why. Our best guess is that we think it might be due to [[acute glaucoma]].]] | ||
The '''most serious''' causes of an acute headache are | The '''most serious''' causes of an acute headache are | ||
*[[Meningitis]] | *[[Meningitis]] | ||
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==Headache as a Condition== | ==Headache as a Condition== | ||
[[image: | [[image:prick.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Thinking about [[Raj]] too much, or just meeting him once, can cause headache, such as this handsome man is trying to fight off with a nice walk.]] | ||
===Definition=== | ===Definition=== | ||
Pain (or ache) in the head region. | Pain (or ache) in the head region. |
Revision as of 09:08, 28 September 2009
In these lists, headache can be anything from mildly irritating to acutely life-threatening. It is one of the most common presentations in primary care; differentiating between
Acute
The most serious causes of an acute headache are
Other causes include:
Recurrent
This is a list of causes of recurrent, acute headache:
- Migraine - this is by far the most common and can be debillitating for the patient during an episode
- Cluster headache
Subacute
The most important cause of a subacute headache is giant cell arteritis. Easy to confirmy diagnosis, this can be fatal if not picked up.
Chronic
The first condition to rule out is raised intracranial pressure (ICP). This is can be indicative of a number of serious conditions (e.g. hydrocephalus, space-occupying lesions which could be a brain tumour).
Less serious causes are:
Headache as a Condition
Definition
Pain (or ache) in the head region.
Epidemiology
Mega mega common. According to wikipedia, in a given year, 90% of people will have at least one!