Atypical Headaches

Headaches account for approximately 4 million, nearly 3% of all ED visits annually. [1] We classify headaches as either primary (benign) or secondary, with secondary headaches occurring due to underlying pathology. In the ED, the goal is to alleviate symptoms safely and effectively while excluding dangerous causes of headaches. While nearly 98% of headaches in the ED are primary or benign [2], ruling out secondary causes of headaches is imperative as failing to diagnose correctly may result in significant morbidity or mortality.