Overview
Incidence
Symptoms
Evaluation
Treatment
specialist
Home Care
pain in adults
pain in children
stress
vomiting
warning signs
Prevention
Underlying Cause
chronic
Types
Anatomy
Headache Symptoms
A headache often occurs with other symptoms. These symptoms can provide an important clue to the underlying cause.
Symptoms that occur with headaches include:
- Change in vision:
- Sensitivity to bright light
- Sensitivity to loud noise
- Dizziness
- Ear pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Neck pain
- Neck stiffness
Serious symptoms that occur with headaches include:
- Confusion
- Difficulty speaking
- Difficulty walking
- Severe eye pain
- Facial numbness (unilateral)
- Facial weakness
- Arm numbness (unilateral)
- Arm weakness (unilateral)
- Leg numbness (unilateral)
- Leg weakness (unilateral)
- Poor coordination
- Poor balance
- Lethargy:
- Fainting
- Seizure
Symptoms of less serious conditions that cause headaches include:
- Cluster headaches symptoms
- Dehydration symptoms
- Hangover symptoms
- Migraine headache symptoms
- Sinusitis symptoms
- Anxiety disorder symptoms
- TMJ disease symptoms
Symptoms of serious conditions that cause headaches include:
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage symptoms
- Brain tumor symptoms
- Encephalitis symptoms
- Meningitis symptoms
- Epidural hematoma symptoms
- Acute glaucoma symptoms
- Head injury symptoms
- Heatstroke symptoms
- Hydrocephalus symptoms
- Mastoiditis symptoms
- Malignant hypertension symptoms
- Stroke symptoms
- Subdural hematoma symptoms
- Temporal arteritis symptoms
Continue to Headache Evaluation
Last Updated: Oct 10, 2008 References
Authors: Stephen J. Schueler, MD; John H. Beckett, MD; D. Scott Gettings, MD
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PubMed Headache References
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- Bilchik TR. A review of nonvalidated and complementary therapies for cluster headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2004 Apr;8(2):157-61. [14980151]
- Colman I, Brown MD, Innes GD, Grafstein E, Roberts TE, Rowe BH. Parenteral dihydroergotamine for acute migraine headache: a systematic review of the literature. Ann Emerg Med. 2005 Apr;45(4):393-401. [15795718]
- Jensen R. Pathophysiological mechanisms of tension-type headache: a review of epidemiological and experimental studies. Cephalalgia. 1999 Jul;19(6):602-21. [10448549]
- Manias P, Tagaris G, Karageorgiou K. Acupuncture in headache: a critical review. Clin J Pain. 2000 Dec;16(4):334-9. [11153790]
- Rains JC, Penzien DB, McCrory DC, Gray RN. Behavioral headache treatment: history, review of the empirical literature, and methodological critique. Headache. 2005 May;45 Suppl 2:S92-109. [15921506]
- Rozen TD. Interventional treatment for cluster headache: a review of the options. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2002 Feb;6(1):57-64. [11749879]
- Smetana GW. The diagnostic value of historical features in primary headache syndromes: a comprehensive review. Arch Intern Med. 2000 Oct 9;160(18):2729-37. [11025782]
- Walker RA, Wadman MC. Headache in the elderly. Clin Geriatr Med. 2007 May;23(2):291-305, v-vi. [17462518]