Misdiagnosis of Tension headache
Alternative diagnoses list for Tension headache:
For a diagnosis of Tension headache,
the following list of conditions
have been mentioned in sources
as possible alternative diagnoses
to consider during the diagnostic process for Tension headache:
Diseases for which Tension headache may be an alternative diagnosis
The other diseases for which Tension headache
is listed as a possible alternative
diagnosis in their lists include:
Tension headache: Hidden Causes Misdiagnosed?
Causes of Tension headache may include these medical conditions:
Tension headache Diagnosis: Book Excerpts
Tension headache: Medical Mistakes
Related medical mistakes may include:
Tension headache: Undiagnosed Conditions
Commonly undiagnosed conditions in related areas may include:
Common Misdiagnoses and Tension headache
Migraine an undiagnosed cause of headache: It is surprising that many migraine sufferers are not
initially diagnosed. Although the condition is fairly well known, there are also many other causes of headache,
and the diagnsosis of migraine is not always straight forward.
See the introduction to migraine or other causes of headache (and types of headache).
Leg cramps at night a classic sign: The symptom of having leg muscle cramps,
particularly at night, is a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes.
However, there are also various other causes.
See causes of leg cramps or misdiagnosis of diabetes.
Mild traumatic brain injury often remains undiagnosed: Although the symptoms
of severe brain injury are hard to miss,
it is less clear for milder injuries, or even those causing a mild concussion diagnosis.
The condition goes by the name of "mild traumatic brain injury" (MTBI).
MTBI symptoms can be mild, and can continue for days or weeks after the injury.
See the symptoms of MTBI or misdiagnosis of MTBI.
MTBI misdiagnosed as balance problem: When a person has symptoms
such as vertigo or dizziness, a diagnosis of brain injury may go overlooked.
This is particularly true of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), for which the
symptoms are typically mild. The symptoms has also relate to a relatively
mild brain injury (e.g. fall), that could have occurred days or even weeks ago.
Vestibular dysfunction, causing vertigo-like symptoms, is a common complication
of mild brain injury.
See causes of dizziness, causes of vertigo, or misdiagnosis of MTBI.
Post-concussive brain injury often misdiagnosed: A study found that soldiers who had
suffered a concussive injury in battle often were misdiagnosed on their return.
A variety of symptoms can occur in post-concussion syndrome and these were not being correctly
attributed to their concussion injury.
See introduction to concussion.
Children with migraine often misdiagnosed: A migraine often fails to be
correctly diagnosed in pediatric patients.
These patients are not the typical migraine sufferers, but migraines can also occur in children.
See misdiagnosis of migraine or introduction to migraine.
Pituitary conditions often undiagnosed cause of symptoms: There are a variety of symptoms
that can be caused by a pituitary disorder (see symptoms of pituitary disorders).
For example, fatigue, headache, weight gain, diabetes-like symptoms, and various other symptoms.
Pituitary tumors and other similar conditions are not as rare as physicians tend to believe.
See introduction to pituitary conditions.
Vitamin B12 deficiency under-diagnosed: The condition of Vitamin B12 deficiency
is a possible misdiagnosis of various conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (see symptoms of multiple sclerosis).
See symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency or misdiagnosis of multiple sclerosis.
Rare cases of headache: Headache is
one of the common symptoms presenting in general practice. It needs a sound
diagnostic and management strategy as the problem can be confusing. The key to
diagnosing the condition is to know and understand the cause. A lot of factors need
to kept in mind in order as to avoid misdiagnosing the cause of headache. A
good history regarding the onset, duration, associated symptoms and general
physical examination of the patient is a must. Common conditions such as migraine,
tension headache, sinusitis and refractive errors of the eye can be easily
diagnosed. But one must also be able to identify conditions such as Paget’s
disease, Conn’s syndrome, Addison’s disease and Cushing’s syndrome which may make a
rare presentation in the form of a headache.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage mimics migraine: Subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs due to spontaneous bleeding in the
subarachnoid space. It presents with severe headache usually over the back,
vomiting, and neck stiffness and severe cases with stroke. Due to the onset
of sudden headache with vomiting it is often misdiagnosed as migraine or
tension headache and treated symptomatically with analgesics. Sometimes the symptoms
of headache, vomiting and neck stiffness favor meningitis. CT scan, lumbar
puncture, blood investigations are the required investigations. Early diagnosis
prevents mortality in these patients.
Tension headache: Rare Types
Rare types of medical disorders and diseases in related medical areas:
General Misdiagnosis Articles
Read these general articles with an overview of misdiagnosis issues.
About misdiagnosis:
When checking for a misdiagnosis of Tension headache
or confirming a diagnosis of Tension headache,
it is useful to consider what other
medical conditions might be possible misdiagnoses or other alternative
conditions relevant to diagnosis.
These alternate diagnoses of Tension headache may already have
been considered by your doctor or may need to be considered as possible
alternative diagnoses or candidates for misdiagnosis of Tension headache.
For a general overview of misdiagnosis issues for all diseases,
see Overview of Misdiagnosis.
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