MEDICAL SEMIOLOGY OF HEADACHE

Abstract

Headache is one of the most frequent complaints in clinical practice and represents a diagnostic challenge due to the diversity of its presentations and etiologies. This study aims to analyze the main semiological characteristics of different forms of headache, based on a review of the scientific literature. This is a narrative review grounded on the analysis of eight articles that address primary and secondary headaches, including migraine, tension-type headache, paroxysmal hemicrania, cervicogenic headache, and headache associated with ischemic stroke, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results demonstrate that a detailed medical history, with emphasis on pain characteristics, associated symptoms, triggering factors, and past medical history, is fundamental for differential diagnosis. The International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) provides standardized criteria that guide clinical reasoning. It can be concluded that the semiology of headache, when properly applied, allows for accurate diagnoses and guides therapeutic decision-making, reducing the need for complementary examinations and preventing complications.