Cluster headaches, by comparison, usually occur on one side of the head only and typically last from a few minutes to a few hours. A thorough medical examination and history are necessary in the diagnostic evaluation of the patient complaining of severe headache. This should include an eye exam to check for muscular weakness or pupils of unequal size, detailed questions about the characteristics of the patient's headache, his or her age, sleep habits, family history, and a record of medications being taken. A neurological examination and laboratory workup of the patient's blood characteristics and thyroid, liver, and kidney functions also may be recommended. In some cases, imaging studies of the brain may be performed to rule out brain tumors, stroke, infections, vascular malformations such as aneurysms, and other disorders.
Many people obtain headache relief through medication.
These treatments can be divided into two broad categories. Symptomatic medication is taken at the time of the headache to treat the symptoms, and prophylactic medication is taken on a daily basis to prevent headaches from occurring. Excessive consumption of analgesics can result in drug rebound headache, a condition in which high levels of the drug in the patient's system actually cause daily headaches. In most cases, patients with rebound headaches, particularly those taking medication on a prophylactic basis, experience improvement when their daily medications are stopped, enabling them to obtain greater relief through symptomatic treatment. Not all headaches require medical treatment.