How do I keep a headache diary?

Suzanne Berman, M.D.

A "headache diary" is a written record of your child's headaches: when they occur, what makes them better and worse, etc. On your calendar, write down the following details:

The date and time the headache started and stopped
What the pain is like (throbbing, stabbing, aching)
Where the pain is (left side, forehead, etc)
How bad the pain is on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = barely there, 10 = worst headache ever)
Other symptoms before or during the headache (vomiting, blurry vision, etc)
Diet and activities that day: stressful exam, skipped lunch, etc.
Menstrual cycle (for girls)

Why are these details so important? It seems like a pain to keep up with.

We can do a lot more for the headaches if we know the details surrounding them. People tend to forget details if they aren't written down. On the other hand, once you keep a written record, you might be amazed at the discoveries you make about the pattern, frequency, and triggers of your child's headaches.

A two-month headache diary is essential to see if medications are making a difference in the frequency and severity of headaches. Unless you specifically try to keep track of how often headaches occur, you may not notice small differences or improvements in the headaches. (For example, a child may be put on medication that successfully decreases the headaches from 10 headaches a month to 6 headaches a month. 10 headaches a month may seem like "a lot," and 6 headaches a month may seem like "a lot." However, going from 10 to 6 is almost a 50% improvement. We might not recognize this unless it's written down.)