Headache - Diagnosis Approach

Diagnosis Approach

The American College of Emergency Physicians have guidelines on the evaluation and management of adult patients who have a nontraumatic headache of acute onset.

While, statistically, headaches are most likely to be primary (non serious and self-limiting), some specific secondary headache syndromes may demand specific treatment or may be warning signals of more serious disorders. Differentiating between primary and secondary headaches can be difficult.

As it is often difficult for patients to recall the precise details regarding each headache, it is often useful for the sufferer to fill-out a "headache diary" detailing the characteristics of the headache.