Diagnosing the type of headaches a person experiences can be difficult. First, the doctor must determine whether the headaches are primary or secondary. Making this determination is important, since secondary headaches can be a symptom of any number of diseases that, if left untreated, often have grave consequences. A stroke, blood clot, brain tumor, or head injury, for example, can be life threatening.

Moreover, since there are no medical tests to diagnose primary headaches, differentiating between primary and secondary headaches can be problematic. However, doctors can diagnose most secondary headaches via medical imaging tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, and computerized axial tomography, or CAT scan. Therefore, in order to eliminate the possibility of secondary headaches, medical imaging tests are administered. Once the specific type of headache is determined, treatment can begin.

Testing

Both an MRI and a CAT scan...