Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) Practice Exam

What type of headache is characterized by sharp, stabbing pain around the eye with nasal stuffiness?

1. Tension headache

2. Cluster headache

3. Migraine headache

4. Cervicogenic headache

The correct answer is: Cluster headache

A cluster headache is characterized by severe, sharp, and stabbing pain that typically occurs around the eye and can be accompanied by autonomic symptoms like nasal congestion or stuffiness, as well as tearing and redness of the eye on the affected side. These headaches often occur in clusters, hence the name, and may last from 15 minutes to several hours, frequently occurring at the same time each day, often at night. This pain is often described as one of the most intense types of pain experienced. The other types of headaches, while they have their own distinct features, do not present in the same way as cluster headaches. Tension headaches tend to cause a dull, aching sensation and are often associated with muscle tightness rather than sharp pain or nasal symptoms. Migraine headaches typically involve throbbing pain, often unilateral, and may include nausea and light sensitivity but do not typically cause the severe stabbing pain or nasal congestion seen in cluster headaches. Cervicogenic headaches stem from neck issues and are also not characterized by the specific symptoms associated with cluster headaches.