Differential Diagnosis for Sudden Sharp Short Pain in the Head
Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Tension headache: This is the most common type of headache and can cause sudden sharp pains, often described as a band or a squeezing sensation around the forehead, usually due to muscle tension.
Other Likely Diagnoses
- Migraine: Although migraines are typically characterized by a longer duration, some people may experience short, sharp pains, especially during the aura phase or as a prodrome.
- Cluster headache: These are extremely painful headaches that occur in clusters or cycles, but can start with a sudden sharp pain, usually on one side of the head.
- Ice pick headache: Also known as primary stabbing headache, this condition is characterized by brief, extremely sharp pains, often feeling like an ice pick stab, usually on one side of the head.
- Sinus headache: Pain from sinus pressure or infection can sometimes be sharp and sudden, especially if it involves the frontal sinuses.
Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage: Although rare, a sudden, severe headache (often described as "the worst headache of my life") can be a sign of bleeding in the brain, which is a medical emergency.
- Temporal arteritis: This condition involves inflammation of the blood vessels in the head and can cause sudden, severe headaches, especially in older adults.
- Meningitis: Inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord can cause a sudden, severe headache, often accompanied by fever, stiff neck, and confusion.
Rare Diagnoses
- Trigeminal neuralgia: A chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve, which can cause sudden, severe, shock-like pains in parts of the face, including the head.
- Occipital neuralgia: Inflammation of the occipital nerves can cause sharp, stabbing pains in the back and top of the head.
- Thunderclap headache: A very severe headache that reaches its maximum intensity within a minute, often described as the worst headache of a person's life, which can be a sign of various underlying conditions, including subarachnoid hemorrhage.