Evaluation of acute headache in adults

Summary

Headache is pain localized to any part of the head, behind the eyes or ears, or in the upper neck. In the US in 2021, 6.2% of women and 2.2% of men reported being bothered a lot by headache or migraine in the past 3 months.[1]

Diagnostic clues should be derived primarily from history. Hallmark physical signs are often absent, and many physical findings are nonspecific. The majority of patients presenting with acute headache have a benign diagnosis, but a high index of suspicion should be maintained for life-threatening causes of headache.[2]

Citations

Key Articles

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Headaches in over 12s: diagnosis and management. Jun 2025 [internet publication].[Full Text]
American College of Radiology. ACR appropriateness criteria®: headache. 2022 [internet publication].[Abstract][Full Text]
Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS). The international classification of headache disorders, 3rd edition. Cephalalgia. 2018 Jan;38(1):1-211.[Full Text]

Referenced Articles

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Diseases

Evaluation of acute headache in adults

Summary

Citations

Key Articles

Referenced Articles