Headaches in Adults in Primary Care: Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Abstract

Headaches are common in primary care. The diagnosis is made by a careful history and physical examination. Imaging is generally not warranted. Several general principles underlie the acute treatment of headache: early initiation of therapy and adequate dosing at first dose. Careful attention to avoiding too frequent administration of acute therapy is important to avoid medication overuse headaches. Opioids should always be avoided. Preventive treatment is indicated for frequent headaches. Successful treatment entails low-dose medication with careful titration and monitoring of headache frequency. Behavioral strategies are important and should be part of any comprehensive headache management plan.

• Authors: Melissa McNeil
• Journal: The Medical clinics of North America (Med Clin North Am) Vol. 105 Issue 1 Pg. 39-53 (Jan 2021) ISSN: 1557-9859 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 33246522 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Analgesics
• Anticonvulsants
• Antidepressive Agents

Topics

• Adult
• Analgesics (therapeutic use)
• Anticonvulsants (therapeutic use)
• Antidepressive Agents (therapeutic use)
• Behavior Therapy
• Headache (classification, diagnosis, physiopathology, therapy)
• Humans
• Medical History Taking
• Physical Examination
• Primary Health Care