German: Kopfschmerz
1 Definition
A headache is a painful sensation in the region of the head. It's based on the stimulation of pain-sensitive structures (calvaria, meninges, blood vessels in the brain, cranial nerves, spinal nerves). The brain tissue itself is not pain-sensitive.
2 Classification
Headache can generally be divided into:
- Primary headache: The pain is the primary condition, with a known cause.
- Secondary headache: Side effect of a different condition
The ICHD classification, published by the International Headache Society, provides a more detailed classification and distinguishes between 128 different kinds of headaches.
3 Etiology
Possible causes for secondary headache are:
- Orthopedic causes
- Otorhinolaryngolic causes
- Systemic causes
- Neurological causes
- Psychogenic causes
- Ophthalmologic causes
- Disorders of the teeth
- Toxicants
4 Frequent types
- Very painful, often pulsating
- Episodic
- Occurs repetitively and one-sided
- Duration: hours up to days
- Accompanying symptoms (nausea, vomiting, light and noise sensitivity)
- Possibly neurological fits
- Mild or moderate intensity
- The whole head, both sides
- Constant pressure
- Occasionally up to daily (30 minutes to 7 days)
- Dull, pressing
- Often other accompanying symptoms
- One-sided pain in the region of the eyes of temple
- Possibly reddening of the eyes and the face
- Increased lacrimation
- Lasts for 15 to 180 minutes
- Can occur for years
- Mild to strong level of pain
- One-sided pain with one dominant side
- No regular temporal pattern
- Limited mobility in the cervical spine
- Accompanying symptoms (nausea, dizziness, impaired vision)
- Ventral translation of the head
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