Assessment of acute headache in adults

Headache is pain localised 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]QuickStats: percentage* of adults aged ≥18 years who have been bothered a lot by headache or migraine in the past 3 months,(†) by sex and age group - national health interview survey, 2021(§). MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023 Jun 2;72(22):611. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7222a6.htm ​

Diagnostic clues should be derived primarily from history. Hallmark physical signs are often absent, and many physical findings are non-specific. 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]Ramirez-Lassepas M, Espinosa CE, Cicero JJ, et al. Predictors of intracranial pathologic findings in patients who seek emergency care because of headache. Arch Neurol. 1997 Dec;54(12):1506-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9400360?tool=bestpractice.com