Exam Cram

• .

• Presentation: frontal headache

• Aetiology: poor sleep, dehydration

• Diagnosis: clinical, 

Outline

Background

• • Common cause of headache

  • Physiologic response to normal stressors: anxiety, dehydration and lack of sleep

  • Complications: chronic headaches, poor mental wellbeing

Assessment

History

• Headache: 

  • Mild-moderate

  • Frontal, tightening of band

  • Bilateral > unilateral

Examination

• Normal examination

Investigations

• Normal investigations, nil required for tension headache

Diagnosis

Diagnostic criteria: clinical

Acute Management

1. Lifestyle

   • Sleep hygiene

   • Oral hydration

   • Regular exercise, fresh air, stress reduction

2. Medication: 

   • Irregular paracetamol & ibuprofen (note risks of medication overuse headache)

Med Reg Notes

Prognosis

Vast majority of ten

Chronic Headaches

Diagnosis: ongoing for > 6 weeks & causing significant harm/ disability 

Management

1. Neurology Opinion

2. Propranolol

3. Topiramate

Written in 2025