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Diagnosing Headache in Young People

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Handbook of Headache

Abstract

Headache is the most common somatic complaint in children and adolescents. Diagnosis is based on thorough history with the patient and the caregiver. History is the prerequisite for differentiating primary from secondary headaches and for recognizing potentially life-threatening disorders. Red flags include the first or worst headache ever in the life, recent headache onset, increasing severity or frequency, occipital location, awakening from sleep because of headache, headache occurring exclusively in the morning associated with severe vomiting, and headache associated with straining. History must cover all features required for headache diagnosis according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) as well as general medical problems, especially possible comorbid disorders, family history, social background, life events, lifestyle, as well as factors precipitating and alleviating headache. History has to be completed by detailed general and neurological examinations. The question whether imaging, laboratory tests, or other investigations are required is based on the clinical findings, i.e., history and clinical examination. In patients with recurrent or chronic headache, a headache diary is recommended particularly for differentiating migraine from tension-type headache and for assessing use and efficacy of abortive medication. A thorough evaluation of recurrent headache in children and adolescents is necessary to make a specific diagnosis and initiate treatment, bearing in mind that children with headache are more likely to experience psychosocial adversity and to grow up with an excess of both headache and other physical and psychiatric symptoms, thus creating an important healthcare problem for their future life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria

    Dr. Çiçek Wöber-Bingöl

  2. Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Headache Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3333 Burnet Avenue – MLC 2015, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA

    Dr. Andrew D. Hershey & Dr. Marielle A. Kabbouche

Authors
  1. Dr. Çiçek Wöber-Bingöl
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  2. Dr. Andrew D. Hershey
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  3. Dr. Marielle A. Kabbouche
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Çiçek Wöber-Bingöl .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical and Molecular Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Paolo Martelletti

  2. Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Timothy J. Steiner

  3. Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Timothy J. Steiner

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© 2011 Lifting The Burden

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Wöber-Bingöl, Ç., Hershey, A.D., Kabbouche, M.A. (2011). Diagnosing Headache in Young People. In: Martelletti, P., Steiner, T.J. (eds) Handbook of Headache. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-1700-9_44

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-1700-9_44

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-1699-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-1700-9

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