Features of stabbing, cough, exertional and sexual headaches in a Turkish population of headache patients

The aim of this study was to determine the features and prevalence of primary stabbing headache, primary exertional headache, primary headache associated with sexual activity, and primary cough headache in a Turkish population of headache patients. The data for this study were obtained from 245 patients with headache. Of these patients, 55 fulfilled the International Classification of Headache Disorders (second edition) diagnostic criteria for ‘other primary headaches’ such as primary stabbing headache (n = 31), primary cough headache (n = 1), primary exertional headache (n = 13), primary headache associated with sexual activity (n = 4), and both primary cough headache and primary exertional headache (n = 6). Primary stabbing headache was found in 12.6% of patients, primary cough headache in 0.4%, primary exertional headache in 5.3% and primary headache associated with sexual activity in 1.6%.