Why keep a headache diary?

A headache diary is useful for both you and your doctor. Based on your symptoms and how often you have headaches, your doctor will decide on further treatment.

With a headache diary, you can track your headaches over time. You will gain a better understanding of your symptoms, and what triggers and relieves your headaches. Many people also experience a greater degree of control over their illness when they use a headache diary.

You can also use the headache diary together with your doctor to make a correct diagnosis, or to monitor the effect of treatment.

Show the diary to your doctor

You also use the headache diary together with your doctor to make a correct diagnosis, decide on further treatment, or monitor the effect of the treatment you are receiving.

There is no blood test for migraine, so the headache diary is the most important tool your doctor has. The doctor looks at, among other things, how often you have headaches, where the pain is located and the intensity of the headache, and what other symptoms you have.

Once you have received the correct diagnosis, the headache diary can be used together with your doctor to see whether you are having an effect from a treatment or not. It is also useful to monitor the side effects of medications.

With the BrainTwin headache diary, you get a separate report from the headache diary that you can take to the doctor.

How to keep a headache diary?

In a headache diary, you keep track of when you have headaches and a description of each headache. It is common to note:

• Duration of the headache
• Where the headache is located
• Whether the pain is throbbing or constant
• Whether the headache is made worse by moderate physical activity
• Whether you have other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to sound or light, visual disturbances, or difficulty finding the right words

Additionally, you can note how painful your headache is on a pain intensity scale. Healthcare professionals often use the traffic light model that distinguishes between mild, moderate, and severe.