Q I've been told to keep a headache diary. How should I record it?
A Note the date and time of onset, the location and intensity of the pain (0-10), how long it lasts, accompanying symptoms, medications taken, and that day's meals, sleep, and stress situation.
Detailed Answer
A headache diary is very useful for diagnosis and for evaluating treatment effectiveness. Recording for at least 4 consecutive weeks lets you discover your own trigger patterns. Using a smartphone headache-diary app is convenient because you can see patterns in graph form.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At the Dongjedang Head & Face Clinic, we use the headache diary as an important clue for pattern diagnosis. If you record whether the headache is worse in the morning or the afternoon, whether it correlates with the menstrual cycle, and whether your head feels squeezed or throbbing, we can more accurately distinguish which root it is among heat-rising-above-with-cold-below, ascendant Liver-yang, and blood stasis, and connect that to tailored circulation treatment rather than a painkiller prescription.
Related FAQs
-
Q
My MRI is normal, but my headache won't go away. Is it possible to fully recover, or do I have to live with it for life?
#Possibility / Realistic Goals
-
Q
I was diagnosed with a cervical disc and I have a headache along with it. How do you tell cervicogenic headache apart from migraine?
#Comorbidities
-
Q
I have frequent headaches, and my anxiety and depression are also worsening. Is there a connection between headaches and mental health?
#Comorbidities
-
Q
Is it okay to exercise when I have a headache? I'm worried it might make things worse.
#Lifestyle Management
-
Q
I suddenly got the worst headache I've ever experienced in my life. What should I do in a situation like this?
#Safety