Headache in the elderly – signs, frequency

For the first time, a headache in elderly people should be regarded as a potentially secondary headache, since the debut of primary headaches is not typical for people over 50 years of age.

Typical causes of secondary headaches can be diseases of the cervical spine (for example, arthritis), giant cell (temporal) arteritis, trigeminal neuralgia, postherpetic neuralgia, and intracranial pathology.

Recurrent headaches are observed in one in five elderly persons (26% of women and 16% of men). The frequency of migraines in the elderly is reduced, and the frequency of tension headaches does not change.