How do you find the history of a patient with a headache?
Headache History Taking
- Opening the consultation.
- Presenting complaint.
- History of presenting complaint.
- Systemic enquiry.
- Past medical history.
- Drug history.
- Family history.
- Social history.
What to assess when a patient has a headache?
The examination should target areas identified as abnormal during the headache history. The general physical examination should include vital signs, funduscopic and cardiovascular assessment, and palpation of the head and face. A complete neurologic examination is essential, and the findings must be documented.
What questions would you ask a patient about a headache?
Questions
- Are there foods that I should stay away from that may make my headaches worse?
- Are there medicines or conditions in my home or work that may be causing my headaches?
- Will alcohol or smoking make my headaches worse?
- Will exercise help my headaches?
- How will stress or stress reduction affect my headaches?
Who discovered headaches?
The first to study headaches in a modern laboratory setting was Harold Wolffe during the 1930s. His experiments provided further support that the cause of headache can be traced back to vascular dilation.
How do you investigate a headache?
Tests for Diagnosing Headaches
- Blood chemistry and urinalysis. These tests may determine many medical conditions, including diabetes, thyroid problems, and infections, which can cause headaches.
- CT scan.
- MRI.
- Sinus X-ray.
- EEG.
- Eye exam.
- Spinal tap.
How do you evaluate a headache?
What are red flag symptoms for headache?
Red flag symptoms: Headaches
- Onset of headaches >50 years.
- Thunderclap headache – subarachnoid haemorrhage.
- Neurological symptoms or signs.
- Meningism.
- Immunosuppression or malignancy.
- Red eye and haloes around lights – acute angle closure glaucoma.
- Worsening symptoms.
- Symptoms of temporal arteritis.
What additional questions would you ask to learn more about her headaches?
10 Important Questions to Ask Your Doctor
- What do you think is causing my headaches?
- Is there more than one condition (disease) that could be causing my headaches?
- What tests will you do to diagnose my headaches?
- How accurate are the tests?
- How safe are the tests?
- What is the likely course of my condition?
How do you ask someone if they have a headache?
Ophthalmologists also can encourage patients to think more closely about their headaches by asking further questions, such as: Where is the pain? What’s the severity and duration? What’s the quality of pain?
What is a unilateral headache?
Migraine headaches are commonly one-sided (unilateral). The pain is described as throbbing or pulsing, and worsens with routine physical activity, such as climbing a flight of stairs. The pain is typically moderate to severe.
What was used for headaches in the 1800s?
Gowers also invented the headache treatment that came to be known as the “Gowers mixture”, a solution of nitroglycerin in alcohol combined with other agents.
Can I take a headache history in an OSCE?
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Taking a headache history is an important skill that is often assessed in OSCEs. This guide provides a structured approach to taking a headache history in an OSCE setting.
Do you need to take a headache history?
However, in some cases, a headache may be the first indication of serious underlying pathology and therefore it is essential you are able to take a comprehensive headache history. Download the headache history taking PDF OSCE checklist, or use our interactive OSCE checklist.
What are the benefits of doing an OSCE exam?
This usually carries some marks in your OSCEs and is a good way to uncover any hidden agendas or points missed in your OSCEs. It is a great way to show the patient (and the examiner) your empathy skills.
What are the symptoms of a headache history?
Key symptoms to ask about when taking a headache history include: Nausea and vomiting: may indicate raised intracranial pressure (e.g. space-occupying lesion). Visual disturbance: may be migraine aura related or secondary to local neural compression by a space-occupying lesion or haemorrhage.