How are headaches diagnosed?
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Your doctor will likely diagnose your headaches based on a conversation with you. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms. If something such as a cold is causing your headache, your doctor will treat that condition. If your symptoms are not being caused by an obvious secondary source, your doctor will ask you questions about your lifestyle and the frequency with which the headaches occur.
Your doctor will likely diagnose your headaches based on a conversation with you. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms. If something such as a cold is causing your headache, your doctor will treat that condition. If your symptoms are not... More -
Piedmont Heart Institute answered:Keeping a headache journal can help a physician better diagnose your type of headache and determine the best treatment. After each headache, note the time of the day when it occurred; its intensity and duration; any sensitivity to light, odors, or sound; activity immediately prior to the headache; use of prescription and nonprescription medicines; amount of sleep the previous night; any stressful or emotional conditions; any influence from weather or daily activity; foods and fluids consumed in the past 24 hours; and any known health conditions at that time. Women should record the days of their menstrual cycles. Include notes about other family members who have a history of headache or other disorder. A pattern may emerge that can be helpful to reducing or preventing headaches.
Once your doctor has reviewed your medical and headache history and conducted a physical and neurological exam, lab screening and diagnostic tests may be ordered to either rule out or identify conditions that might be the cause of your headaches. Blood tests and urinalysis can help diagnose brain or spinal cord infections, blood vessel damage, and toxins that affect the nervous system. Testing a sample of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord can detect infections and bleeding in the brain (called a brain hemorrhage) and measure any buildup of pressure within the skull. Diagnostic imaging, such as with Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), can detect irregularities in blood vessels and bones, certain brain tumors and cysts, brain damage from head injury, brain hemorrhage, inflammation, infection, and other disorders. Neuroimaging gives doctors a way to see what's happening in the brain during headache attacks. An electroencephalogram (EEG) measures brain wave activity and can help diagnose brain tumors, seizures, head injury, and inflammation that may lead to headaches.
This answer is based on source information from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Keeping a headache journal can help a physician better diagnose your type of headache and determine the best treatment. After each headache, note the time of the day when it occurred; its intensity and duration; any sensitivity to light, odors, or... More -
RealAge answered:The recognized authority for headache diagnosis is the International Headache Society (IHS) classification, which focuses on the clinical features of headaches. A clinical interview by a doctor provides the information for classifying headache symptoms according to IHS criteria. Physical or neurological examination is rarely necessary or beneficial, and brain scans are rarely taken.
Questions included in a well-constructed clinical interview focus on the four major characteristics of headaches:
- quality (tightening or pulsating)
- intensity (mild, moderate, severe, or very severe)
- location (one or both sides of head)
- response to routine physical activities (worsened or unchanged)
- headache accompaniments, which include nausea and/or vomiting; unusual sensitivity to light, sound, or odors; and aura before the onset of headache pain
- use of nonprescription or prescription medications
- treatment of headache pain with self-care approaches and the subjective rating of the pain relief achieved with these approaches
The recognized authority for headache diagnosis is the International Headache Society (IHS) classification, which focuses on the clinical features of headaches. A clinical interview by a doctor provides the information for classifying... More -
Dr. Egilius Spierings answered:Considering how common headaches are and the long list of potential causes, remarkably few people need special testing. People with a long history of headaches that haven't changed much in intensity or frequency are less likely to need additional tests than people just starting to experience headaches or whose headaches have gotten worse. Pain that occurs consistently in the same location or on one side of the head—which could result from an underlying medical condition, such as a tumor or a blood vessel abnormality—may also warrant a more detailed evaluation.
On the other hand, a headache that regularly shifts from one side to the other may not, since this suggests a less ominous cause such as stress or fatigue. No tests are needed for obvious tension or migraine headaches. However, doctors sometimes recommend a computed tomography (CT) scan to determine the cause of sinus headaches. If your doctor decides on further testing, he or she may order a scan using CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Each of these procedures can show the body's internal structures.Considering how common headaches are and the long list of potential causes, remarkably few people need special testing. People with a long history of headaches that haven't changed much in intensity or frequency are less likely to need... More -
American Academy of Ophthalmology answered:Because headache is such a common problem, a thorough medical examination by your primary care physician is recommended for any chronic or recurring headache. An eye exam by an ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) may be helpful in some cases.
You can help your physician determine the cause of your headache by describing your symptoms, noting when the headaches occur and providing a complete medical history, including any family history of recurring headaches.
For any chronic or recurring headache, a thorough medical examination by your primary care physician is recommended. Learn more from our experts about headaches.
Because headache is such a common problem, a thorough medical examination by your primary care physician is recommended for any chronic or recurring headache. An eye exam by an ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) may be helpful in some cases. You can help... More -
Dr. Irene Semenov of NorthShore University HealthSystem answered:The diagnosis of headache disorder is made based on the history. Patients with headaches who are evaluated by health professionals have to provide a full history of their headaches and other medical conditions. Then they undergo a thorough medical examination and sometimes may need an MRI or a CT scan of their head in order to rule out other conditions.The diagnosis of headache disorder is made based on the history. Patients with headaches who are evaluated by health professionals have to provide a full history of their headaches and other medical conditions. Then they undergo a... More
