Why Keep a Headache Diary?
A headache diary is an important tool to help you and your doctor figure out what kind of headaches you have and how to avoid the things that cause them. If you've already been diagnosed with migraine and you've started a treatment plan, the diary is also invaluable in evaluating the effectiveness of medication and lifestyle changes. If your headaches hit without warning, you should carry the diary with you at all times. It may take some effort and organization for you to keep on top of your headache diary, but there are strategies you can use to make tracking your headaches easier.
Keeping a headache diary can be as simple as taking notes on a calendar or as complex as entering data into a spreadsheet or computer program. If you carry a date book or organizer with you already, you might use it to track your headache information. Whatever method you choose, make sure it's easy for you so you're more likely to do it. If you're going in for an initial evaluation of your head pain, it's recommended that you keep your headache diary for as long as possible prior to your appointment. But any amount of information will be helpful to your doctor, so don't put off starting your diary if you have less than six weeks until your appointment.
Studies have shown that using a headache diary for at least three months is highly effective in diagnosing menstrual migraine. Menstrual migraine — or migraine associated with the hormonal fluctuations of the menstrual cycle — affects an estimated 12.6 million American women.
Some people are put off by the idea of a headache diary because they don't like the thought of taking notes in the midst of a brainsplitting headache. Or they may worry that the visual disturbances and confusion that accompany their headaches will make keeping a clear and accurate record difficult. The best strategy for success is to log headaches in your diary as soon as your head pain resolves or subsides to what you feel is a manageable level. If lingering mental fogginess is making it difficult to put your thoughts on paper, keep a small audio recorder on hand and take spoken notes — you can transfer them to your diary later. Remember not to wait too long to document your headache to avoid forgetting any important details.
Don't use your diary to attempt to self-diagnose your headaches. Sometimes a severe vascular headache that seems like a migraine can be a sign of a medical emergency. Always seek the help of a qualified medical professional who specializes in headache disorders to properly diagnose and treat your head pain.
Remember that your headache diary is only one tool in diagnosing and treating migraine. Your doctor will take a health history from you, will perform a physical and neurological examination, and may use written or verbal screening tests and assessments to supplement your diary. He may also order lab tests and radiological exams such as CT or MRI scans.
A headache diary is also not very helpful if you aren't consistent in your entries. Try not to skip days, and remember to include the basic information outlined in the “What You Should Track” section that follows. The more thorough you are in taking notes, the more useful your diary will be to you and your health care provider.
The headache trends that are so valuable in the diagnosis and treatment of headache disorders won't necessarily appear in a week or two. For some people with infrequent headache, it may take several months worth of diary data for useful patterns to become clear. Be patient with the process.
