Headache Diary
A daily headache diary is perhaps the most important tool that can be used to help you gain control of your headaches. An accurate headache diary helps you to :
- Monitor the frequency, duration and severity of your headaches over time
- Identify patterns that can help clarify triggers and improve treatment
- Document medication use and response
- Archive long term records to see progress over time and reveal what has worked
We typically recommend using an app such as MigraineBuddy to keep track of your migraines and triggers, but you can also track your headaches using a Google Spreadsheet or in a notebook. A headache diary should keep track of the (1) date of the headache, (2) time of the headache, (3) intensity of the headache, (4) preceding symptoms, (5) triggers, (6) medication and dosage, and (7) relief (complete/moderate/none).
Sample Headache Diary
Above is an example of a graph of migraine intensity — these are typically generated by migraine diary apps, and help us identify migraine patterns and responses to treatment. An example of a headache diary for the above graph can be seen below.
| Date | Time | Intensity | Preceding Symptoms | Triggers | Medication | Relief |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1 | 7:00 am | 1/10 | neck pain | stress | Excedrin Migraine | complete |
| Nov 2 | 8:00 am | 2/10 | light sensitivity | none | none | complete |
| Nov 6 | 4:00 pm | 7/10 | neck pain | red wine | Excedrine Migraine, Imitrex | moderate |
| Nov 7 | 6:00 pm | 4/10 | none | lack of sleep | Excedrine Migraine | none |