SA Clinical Neuroscience > Headache > Flashcards

Headache Flashcards

(53 cards)

Study These Flashcards
1
Q

what are the subtypes of acute headache

A
  1. Vascular
  2. Infective/inflammatory
  3. Opthalmic
  4. Situational
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

give some vascular causes of headaches

A
  • Haemmorage:
    1. subarachnoid
    2. subdural
    3. extradural
  • Thrombosis
    1. venous sinus thrombosis
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

give some infective causes for a headache

A
  • Meningitis A&E
  • Encephalitis A&E
  • Abscess A&E
  • Temporal arteritis A&E
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

give an opthalmic reason for a headache

A

glaucoma
build up of fluid, in front part of eye

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what are some situational reasons for a headache

A
  • Cough
  • Exertion
  • Coitus
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what are three reasons for chronic headaches

A
  1. migrane
  2. cluster headaches
  3. tension headaches
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what are cluster headaches

A

Drug side effects
* Analgesics
* Caffeine (particularly withdrawal)
* Vasodilators

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what are examples of tension headaches

A

 Trigeminal neuralgia (difficult to classify but probably secondary
due to a vascular anomaly)
 Raised intracranial pressure (e.g. tumours) A&E
 Temporal / giant cell arteritis A&E
 Systemic
* Hypertension A&E
* Pre-eclampsia A&E
* Phaemochromocytoma – rare A&E

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what history would you take with someone suffering from headaches

A
  1. SQUITARS
  2. triggers?
  3. PMH of headache
  4. drug history (cause headaches)
  5. FH: migrane with aura has heritability
  6. SH: stress, diet, hydration, caffeine
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what are some examinations that need to be done when assessing a headache

A

 Vital signs / obs
* E.g. raised ICP can cause bradycardia / hypotension.
Hypertension itself can cause headache
 Neurological examination
* Full peripheral and cranial nerve
 Other relevant systems as guided by history (e.g. if associated
feelings of faintness then examine CVS)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what are some red flag features of headaches

A
  1. systemic signs and disorders (meningitis or hypertension)
  2. neurological symptoms
  3. onset new >50 (malignancy)
  4. thunderclap presentation (vascular)
  5. papilloedema
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

what features fo headaches caused by space occupying lesions (tumoir) be caused from

A

o Gradual onset
o Progressive
o Associated neurological features
 E.g. visual disturbance or focal signs o Additional features of raised ICP
 Early morning headache
 Nausea and vomiting
 Worse on coughing and bending

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what are the features of migranes

A

2% of population
females x2 males
early to mid life
severity decreases as age does

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

sight of migrane

A

frontal, unilateral

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Quality of migranes

A

sudden or gradual
throbbing/pulsating
- moderate to severe

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

timing of migrane

A

4-72 hours, can have a cyclical character

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

aggravating factors of migrane

A

photophobia
phonophobia (loud noises)
-> cheese and chocolate
stress and lack of sleep

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

what helps relieve migrains

A

sleep
meds (triptans)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

secondary characteristics of migrains

A

aura (shivering, visual loss, sensory loss)
nausea and vomiting

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

what is the pathophysiology of migranes

A

not sure but vasodialation
neurogenic inflammation of trigeminal sensory neurones innervating vessels and meningies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

tension headache features

A

most common type
females> males
young>old
over 50s

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

site of tension headache

Study These Flashcards
A

bilateral frontal
can radiate to neck

23
Q

what is the pain described as in tension headaches

Study These Flashcards
A

squeezing like a band and non-pulsatile
mild-moderate

24
Q

what is the timing of tension headaches

Study These Flashcards
A
  • worse at end of day
  • chronic > 15 times a month
  • episodic <15 month
25
what are some aggravating factors that can cause tension headaches
- stress - poor posture - lack of sleep
26
what are some things that can releive a tension headache
analgesic
27
what is the pathophysiology of tension headache
tension in muscles of head and neck (occiputo-frontalis) no family history
28
what are some features of medication overuse headaches
3rd most common 20% headaches are due to medication overuse 30-40 females
29
what are some clinical features of medical overuse headache
1. 15 days of month 2. no improvement after meds 3. patient is using analgesic at least 10 days a month 4. headache comes about in people taking analegisc meds for headache in first place 5. co-exist with sleep and depressio.
30
managment of medication overuse headaches
stop meds
31
what is the pathophysiology of medication overuse headaches
upregulation of pain receptors
32
what are features of cluster headaches
1/1000 males 20-40 yr
33
site of cluster headaches
behind one eye and no radiation
34
what is the pain described as in cluster headaches
sharp and penetrating (makes patient want to die, being stabbed
35
intensity of cluster headaches
severe and constantly intense they will be very agitated
36
what is the timing in cluster headaches
rapid onset 15mins-3hrs and occur 1-2 times a day night 2-12 weeks remission 3months - 3years
37
what are aggravating factors of cluster headaches
head injury alcohol and smoking heat exercise lack of sleep
38
what can help in cluster headaches
analgesic high flow oxygen
39
secondary symptoms with cluster headaches
red, water eye nasal congestion ptosis
40
what are features of trigeminal neuralgia
50-60 25/100000 uk population females
41
what is the site of trigeminal neuralgia
unilateral, over one eye radiates to lip, nose, eyes and scalp
42
what is the pain described in trigeminal neuralgia
sharp and stabbing electric shock feeling
43
how intense is TN headache
severe
44
what is the timing of TN headache
sudden last few seconds to minutes
45
What are aggrivating factors of TN
light touch to face eating cold winds vibrations
46
relieveing factors of TN headaches
hard to alleviate
47
secondary symptoms of TN
numbness and tingling preceding an attack
48
pathophysiology of TN headache
* compression of trigeminal nerve by vascular malformation * tumours, MS, skull base anomalies * chronic pain
49
when do headaches need to be referred
 Suspicion of a tumour  Suspicion of raised ICP  Recent onset seizures  Previous cancer  Unexplained focal deficit  Unexplained cognitive/personality changes
50
what are some examples of secondary headaches Vs primary
**Primary** 1. tension type 2. migraine 3. cluster **Secondary ** 1. space occupying lesion (tumour) 2. Intercranial haemmorage 3. meningitis 4. medication overuse headaceh
51
what does a space occupying lesion present as
52
temporal arteritis
53
what are some secondary causes of headaches that can cause vision loss too
glaucoma and giant cell (temporal) arteritis
SA Clinical Neuroscience
flashcards
Decks in class (23)
# Cards
Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2026 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions