ACUTE VS. CHRONIC HEADACHE - RECOMMENDATI ONS FOR DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Normally acute headache is associated with an acute disease, i.e. loca l or systemic inflammation, intracranial bleeding, acute glaucoma and so on. Diagnosis is urgent and the management aims both to cure the ca usal process and to relieve the symptomatic pain. In chronic headache other etiological and pathogenetical conditions habe to be considered. Often chronic pain emerges and persists or recurs episodically for mo nths or years without identificable organic cause. Thus acute and chro nic headache need different diagnostic procedures and management.