DIAGNOSING MIGRAINE HEADACHE IN RICHLAND

In diagnosing headache types, a complete and accurate history of symptoms and characteristics of the headache is helpful. Patients are often asked to keep a “Headache Diary” to track information for what may be contributing to or “triggering” the headache.

A doctor may ask for information about how the headache feels and characteristics of the headaches, including:

• Describe the type of pain and where it is located.
• What is the severity of the pain on a scale of 1 to 10?
• How long does the pain last?
• How often do headaches occur?
• Have you noticed a trigger, such as situations, food, activities or medicines preempting the headache?
• What symptoms occur along with the headache, such as sensitivity to light and/or sound, nausea, or weakness?
• Does anyone else in your family have headaches?
• When did you first experience this type of headache?
• Do you experience headaches that feel different, or do you have different types of headaches?

In diagnosing a headache patient, a physical or neurological examination may also be conducted to find signs of an underlying cause, such as:

• Trouble with balance
• Vision abnormalities
• High blood pressure
• Fatigue or muscle weakness
• Injuries or head trauma
• Infections
• Malformation
• Tumor
• Hemorrhage

There are multiple types of headaches and many possible headache causes. Most headache patients will not require an array of extensive diagnostic testing prior to establishing a treatment plan.

To aid the doctor in the diagnosis of headaches and to rule out or confirm possible causes sometimes diagnostic tests such as an MRI are used.