What should you know about keeping a headache diary?

Headaches may vary in location, pressure, throbbing quality, duration and associated symptoms. A record can show links with sleep, meals, hydration, heat, stress, screens, menstrual cycles or particular foods. It can also show whether symptoms occur with nausea, light sensitivity, blocked nose or dizziness. These observations support assessment but do not replace an examination.

Write an entry soon after each episode. Note the start and finish, pain location and intensity in words, associated symptoms, sleep, meals, drinks, activity and medicines taken. Record whether the medicine helped and whether symptoms returned. Use a phone note, calendar or paper page that you can update consistently. Bring the record to an appointment, including entries from symptom-free days when relevant.

Seek urgent care for a sudden severe headache, new weakness, confusion, fainting, seizure, stiff neck, high fever, vision loss or a headache after a significant injury. Arrange a review if the pattern is new, worsening, unusually frequent, or interfering with work, sleep or daily activities. Headache alongside illness such as Dehydration, Common Cold or Chronic Sinusitis may need attention to the wider symptoms.

Which diary details matter most for my symptoms? How long should I keep recording? Could my medicines or sleep pattern be contributing, and what changes should prompt an earlier review?