Browse categories and answer follow-up questions to refine your symptom profile.
Immediate priorities
Stabilization and immediate exclusion of secondary headache
Airway compromise
Vomiting with decreased level of consciousness
Inability to protect airway
Breathing compromise
Hypoxia as alternate cause of altered mental status
Hypercapnia as alternate cause of headache with confusion
Circulatory compromise
Shock physiology
Hypertensive emergency features
Immediate escalation triggers
Thunderclap onset
New focal neurologic deficit
New seizure
Fever with meningismus
Altered mental status
Papilledema
Pregnancy or postpartum headache with severe features
Immunocompromised state with new headache
Secondary headache red flags
Red flag framework
SNNOOP10 features
Systemic symptoms
Systemic disease
Neurologic deficit or altered mental status
Sudden onset
Older age at onset
Pattern change or progressive course
Positional component
Precipitated by exertion, cough, Valsalva
Papilledema
Pregnancy or postpartum
Painful eye with autonomic features
Post traumatic onset
Pathology of immune system
Painkiller overuse or new medication
Working diagnosis decision points
Tension-type headache likelihood
Bilateral location
Band-like or pressure quality
Occipital or frontal predominance
Mild to moderate intensity
Not worsened by routine activity
No need to stop activity
Nonpulsating quality
Tightness
Dull ache
Associated features
No nausea or vomiting
Photophobia or phonophobia absent or only one present
Key concepts
High-risk headache exclusions before benign labeling
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Thunderclap onset
Worst headache of life
Meningitis or encephalitis
Fever
Neck stiffness
Giant cell arteritis
Age 50 years or older
Jaw claudication
Intracranial mass or elevated ICP
Progressive pattern
Morning predominance with vomiting
Cerebral venous thrombosis
Pregnancy or postpartum
Prothrombotic risk
SymptomDx is an educational tool for medical professionals. It does not replace clinical judgment. Verify all clinical data and drug dosages with authoritative sources.