Abstract
Headaches can arise from relatively harmless primary conditions to potentially fatal secondary causes, making them a common neurological complaint in clinical practice. Understanding the demographic characteristics and etiological distribution of individuals presenting with headache is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective management. We aimed to assess the demographic characteristics and etiological factors among our headache patients.
From January 2023 through December 2025, 280 individuals who presented to the emergency department or outpatient clinics with headache were included in this retrospective observational study. We examined diagnoses, comorbidities, clinical characteristics, and demographics. Headaches were classified as primary or secondary using the International Classification of Headache Disorders, Third Edition. Statistical analyses included descriptive and comparative analyses.
The majority of participants were female (62.5%), and the mean age was 39.8 ± 14.6 years. Of cases, 68.2% were classified as primary headaches, with the most common diagnosis being migraine (41.1%), followed by tension-type headache (21.4%). Thirteen percent of patients experienced secondary headaches, with the most common causes being sinusitis (11.4%), hypertension-related headaches (8.2%), and cerebral pathology (3.6%). There was a strong correlation between migraine and female gender (p < 0.001), and secondary headaches were more prevalent in older individuals (p = 0.02). The vast majority of headaches are primary headaches, most commonly migraines, although secondary causes are still a serious concern, particularly in elderly individuals. Optimal patient treatment requires a standardized diagnostic strategy that accounts for demographic and clinical variables.