Acute Recent-Onset Headache

CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL

Cause	Symptoms and Signs	Confirmatory Diagnostic Tests
Meningitis	Photophobia, vomiting, mental confusion	Lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid analysis and culture
Low Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure	Improvement when lying down, possible tinnitus	Lumbar puncture to measure cerebrospinal fluid pressure
Subarachnoid Haemorrhage	Neck stiffness, meningeal irritation signs	Head CT scan and lumbar puncture
Intracranial Haemorrhage	Sudden neurological changes, loss of consciousness	Head CT scan or MRI
Traumatic Brain Injury with Cerebral Contusion	Loss of consciousness, confusion, vomiting	Head CT scan
Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma	Red eyes, dilated fixed pupil	Measurement of intraocular pressure and ophthalmological evaluation
Sinusitis	Nasal congestion, fever, nasal discharge	Clinical evaluation, sinus imaging if needed
Tension Headache	No focal neurological symptoms	Clinical diagnosis based on history and physical examination
Bilateral Migraine	Nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound	Clinical diagnosis based on history and exclusion of other causes