Physical and neurological exams

The doctor will perform a complete physical and neurological examination, looking for signs and symptoms of an illness that might be causing the headaches, such as:

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Fever or abnormalities in breathing, pulse, or blood pressure

Infection

Nausea, vomiting

Changes in personality, inappropriate behavior

Mental confusion

Seizures

Loss of consciousness

Excessive fatigue, wanting to sleep all the time

Muscle weakness, numbness, or tingling

Speech difficulties

Balance problems, falling

Dizziness

Vision changes (blurry vision, double vision, blind spots)

The focus is on ruling out diseases that might also cause headaches, such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and other cerebrovascular diseases.

An interview with a psychologist may also be a part of the headache evaluation in both children and adults. Some 50 percent to 70 percent of chronic headache sufferers have some form of psychological condition. In the case of children, the psychologist usually meets with the child and the parents together and then with them separately for structured interviews. The parents are typically asked to complete computerized questionnairest to provide more in-depth information. Usually, no severe problems are discovered, but stress factors are often identified.