Appendix
O
SUGGESTIONS
FOR A HEADACHE DIARY
The National
Headache Foundation (NHF) suggests answering the following questions
to compile your headache history:
- When
did you start having headaches?
- How
often do they occur? At what time of day? During the week or
on weekends?
- How
long do they last?
- Where
is the pain?
- Which
word best describes it: throbbing, pounding, splitting, stabbing,
blinding?
- Are
your headaches associated with your menstrual cycle?
- What
symptoms do you experience prior to a headache?
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- What
triggers your headache: certain foods, certain physical activities,
bright light, strong odors, change in temperature or altitude,
noise, smoke, stress, oversleeping?
- Does
anyone else in your family suffer from headaches?
- Do
you notice visual disturbances before or after your headaches?
- Do
you suffer from more than one type of headache?
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It is important
to make an appointment with your doctor for the specific purpose of
addressing your headache history rather than discussing headaches as
part of a physician visit for other reasons. The National Headache
Foundation also recommends keeping a diary to track the characteristics
of your headaches. Patterns identified from your diary may help your
doctor determine which type of headache you have and the most beneficial
treatments.
For more
information about headache causes and treatments, visit the NHF web
site at www.headaches.org or
call 888-NHF-5552.
A
headache diary consists of tracking the following information:
| Date |
Time
(start to finish) |
Intensity
rate 1-10
(most severe being 10) |
Preceding
Symptons |
Triggers |
Mediaction
(and dosage) |
Relief (complete/
moderate/none) |
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