Primary headaches during lifespan

Table 2 Clinical differences in primary headaches during lifespan

Phase of life/headache type	Migraine	Tension-type headache	Cluster headache
Childhood
Gender (female/male)	Nearly 1:1(f:m)	Probably 1:1(f:m)	Probably 1:1
Attack duration	Less than 2 h	30 min to 2–4 h	15 min to 2 h
Pain characteristic	More often dull and on both sides	Dull, less intensity	Temporal, orbital, stabbing, high intensity
Autonomic symptoms	Vomiting, pallor, abdominal complaints often present	Absent	Typically present
Paroxysmal syndromes	Vertigo, vomiting, torticollis,	Absent	Absent
Adulthood
Gender	2.5–3/1(f:m)	5:4 (f:m)	1:2.5–4 (f:m)
Attack duration	4 to 72 h	30 min to days	15 min to 3 h
Pain characteristic	Pulsating, hemicranial	Dull, less intensity	Temporal, orbital, stabbing, high intensity
Autonomic symptoms	Less often	Absent	Typically present
Paroxysmal syndromes	Rarely (cyclic vomiting)	Absent	Absent
Elderly
Gender	2:1 (f:m), prevalence decreasing	5:4 (f:m), prevalence less decreasing	1:2.5–4 (f:m), prevalence mostly stable
Attack duration	4 to 72 h	30 min to days	15 min to 3 h
Pain characteristic	More often dull and on both sides	Dull, less intensity	Temporal, orbital, stabbing, high intensity
Autonomic symptoms	Mostly absent	Absent	Less pronounced
Paroxysmal syndromes	Absent	Absent	Absent

ISSN: 1129-2377