This article focuses on several fundamental links between basic respiratory physiology and clinical medicine practice during consultation, when a patient complaints about symptoms of pulmonary origin or seeks explanations for the proper functioning of his/ her lungs and breathing.
Headache is a common complaint that may be associated with a variety of clinical conditions. Most patients suffer from primary headache, whose diagnosis can be made based on clinical history, with no additional test required. Some patients have secondary headache that may be life-threatening, and further tests must be performed, at times under emergency conditions. Red flags include sudden onset of headache, new-onset headache, headache increasing in frequency and severity, advanced age, and abnormal neurological examination.