Headache Flashcards
What are the two main patterns of headache?
Acute single headache and Dull headache
Triggered and recurrent headaches
What the typical causes of an acute single headache?
Following a head injury
Subarachnoid haemorrhage,
Meningitis,
Tumour, drugs toxins, stroke
Which pattern of headaches are clinically more concerning?
Acute single headaches
What type of acute single headache is considered to be a sudden onset?
A thunderclap
What is a dull headache?
Unchanged over months
what are the main causes of a dull headache?
Usually benign Overuse of medication (e.g. codeine) Contraceptive pill, hormone replacement therapy Neck disease Temporal arteritis Benign intracranial hypertension Cerebral tumour Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
What is a triggered headache?
A headache commonly trig-erred by coughing, straining, exertion, coitus (Sexual intercourse). food and drink
What type of headache is a migraine?
A recurrent headache
What type of headache is a cluster headache?
A recurrent headache
What type of headache is associated with atypical facial pain?
Dull headaches
Give four examples of a recurrent headache:
Migraine
Cluster headache
Episodic tension headache
Trigeminal or post-herpetic neuralgia
What three headache onsets suggest a red flag?
Thunderclap
Acute
Subacute
What are the common symptoms of meningism?
1) Photophobia
2) Phonophobia (Fear of sound)
3) Stiff neck
4) Vomiting
What are the red flags for headaches?
Onset Meningism Systemic symptoms Neurological symptoms or focal signs Orthostatic- better lying down Strictly unilateral
What are some systemic red flag symptoms of headaches?
Fever, rash and weight loss
What are some neurological red flag symptoms of headaches?
Visual loss, confusion, seizures, hemiparesis, double vision, 3rd nerve palsy, Horner Syndrome, papilloedema
Which nerve is responsible for a third nerve palsy?
Oculomotor nerve
Which cerebral artery can rupture leading to a third nerve palsy?
Posterior communicating artery aneurysm –> Haemorrhage
What are the symptoms of a third nerve palsy?
Droopy eye-lid (ptosis) Depressive- abduction (Superior oblique and lateral rectus are functional)
What is Horner syndrome?
The sympathetic innervation to the eye is affected, subsequently leading to miosis (pupillary constriction), ptosis and absence of sweating.
Which headache describes a characteristic one sided pain?
Unilateral headache
What is a possible cause of a thunderclap headache?
Subarachnoid haemorrhage
Ruptured berry aneurysm
What are the common symptoms of meningism?
Stiff neck and photophobia
What is meningism?
Meningeal irritation, post subarachnoid bleed, blood irritates the meninges within the subarachnoid space.
What clinical investigation can be used to identify an aneurysm?
Angiogram
Which calcium blocker is used for subarachnoid haemorrhages?
Nimodipine
What is the treatment for a subarachnoid haemorrhage?
Nimodipine and BP control
What physiological response attempts to prevent a subarachnoid bleed?
A vasospasm is the narrowing of the arteries caused by a persistent contraction of the blood vessels, which is known as vasoconstriction. This narrowing can reduce blood flow.
What clinical investigations are conducted to diagnose a patient with a subarachnoid bleed?
CT scan
If there are uncertainties with the diagnosis, conduct a lumbar puncture (RBC and xanthochromia)