Description
A headache refers to pain in the head or upper neck. It ranks among the most common local pain complaints and may be frequent for many people. Headaches can be caused by many things including tension, trauma, caffeine withdrawal, life threatening bleeding, or migraines. Rarely, headaches are due to brain tumors or a serious infection (such as meningitis) Often, the cause is unknown.
Symptoms
Head pain, neck pain, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, neurologic abnormalities, visual changes.
Tests
Common tests used for diagnosis and treatment
Workup:
A history and physical exam will be performed with particular attention to the neurologic examination. In some cases, a head CT or brain MRI may be recommended but these are not usually necessary.
Tests:
Complete blood count (CBC), Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), CT Scan, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Urinalysis (UA)
Specialists:
Internal Medicine, Neurology, Pediatrics, Family Practice, Pediatric Neurology
Workup:
A history and physical exam will be performed with particular attention to the neurologic examination. In some cases, a head CT or brain MRI may be recommended but these are not usually necessary.
Tests:
Complete blood count (CBC), Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), CT Scan, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Urinalysis (UA)
Specialists:
Internal Medicine, Neurology, Pediatrics, Family Practice, Pediatric Neurology
Treatment
Identifying the type and cause of the headache determines the treatment. Generally treating the symptoms with medications helps in the acute phase. Medications used include: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications/NSAIDs (ibuprofen/Motrin or Advil, naproxen/Naprosyn), pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), migraine medications, and/or anti-nausea medications.