What is the Headache like?
The headache is usually located on the side of the head. About 50% of people will have headache as the initial symptom. but by the time of diagnosis this is over 90%. The main arteries affected are branches of the superficial temporal artery. This artery runs just in front of the ear and supplies the front and side of the scalp of your head. The other artery affected is the occipital artery, which supplies the back of the head. I have had patients in whom I have confused Temporal/Giant Cell Arteritis with cervicogenic headache, as their main headache was a severe occipital pain which was worse with lying down. One study of older people (Solomon 1987) found that the temples were the site of pain in only 25%, and 28% had the occiput as the site of pain. Please be vigilant. This is not a diagnosis to miss and should always be in the forefront of your mind if you have a new onset headache over 50 years.
