Differential Diagnosis for Headache
- Single most likely diagnosis
- Tension headache: This is the most common type of headache and is often described as a band or a squeezing sensation around the forehead, usually accompanied by muscle tension in the neck and scalp.
- Other Likely diagnoses
- Migraine: Characterized by severe, throbbing pain, often unilateral, and can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
- Sinus headache: Caused by inflammation or infection of the sinuses, leading to pain and pressure in the face and forehead.
- Cluster headache: Extremely painful, occurs in cycles or clusters, and is often accompanied by nasal congestion and eye watering on the affected side.
- Do Not Miss (ddxs that may not be likely, but would be deadly if missed.)
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage: A life-threatening condition caused by bleeding into the space surrounding the brain, often presenting with a sudden, severe headache.
- Meningitis: Inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, which can be caused by infection and is characterized by headache, fever, and stiff neck.
- Temporal arteritis: Inflammation of the blood vessels in the temple, which can lead to blindness if not treated promptly, and is often accompanied by headache, jaw claudication, and visual disturbances.
- Rare diagnoses
- Trigeminal neuralgia: A chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve, causing intense, shock-like or stabbing pain in parts of the face.
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: A condition characterized by increased pressure within the skull without any apparent cause, leading to headache, vision changes, and tinnitus.
- Hypnic headache: A rare type of headache that occurs only during sleep and wakes the patient up, typically occurring in older adults.