Headache

Headache is a pain in the head, with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the head (occipital), or in the back of the upper neck. It may be secondary to numerous disorders such as meningitis (secondary headaches) or be a disorder in and of itself, such as migraine and cluster headache (primary headaches). Primary headaches are benign, diagnosed entirely on the history, and form the major morbidity in the problem of headache. They often exist in episodic and chronic forms. Secondary headaches may be acute or chronic, and benign or serious. Only some require investigation for their diagnosis. The clinical approach to the patient with headache is described in this chapter.