The old saying "When you have a headache today, you don't think about the one you had yesterday" is rather sarcastic but true nevertheless. And it is precisely for this reason that, if you suffer from frequent headaches, you should keep a headache or migraine diary in which you immediately write down all your observations during an acute attack. Because by tomorrow you will have forgotten a lot of what could be important. See above!

Countless sufferers have been helped by keeping a record like this, because regularly writing everything down has, for example, highlighted completely unexpected associations between their headaches and their activities or even life situations which they would probably never have noticed if they had not kept such a diary.

It is worth keeping a diary even if it does cost time and effort. Just think how much valuable time and quality of life you have already lost as a result of your headaches! There is always the chance that the few minutes you invest in your headache diary will be repaid by countless pain-free hours - giving you a new quality of life.

Your doctor will also recommend that you keep a diary. Your records can help him to give you the right recommendations for your lifestyle and to find the right treatment straight away.

What information should a headache or migraine diary contain?

		Time when headache started and stopped
		Severity of the headache: moderate, moderately severe, severe, unbearable
		Position of headache: temple or back of the head, on the surface or deep inside, one side, both sides or alternating
		Type of headache: roaring, hammering, throbbing, pulsing, stabbing, piercing
		Any "accompanying symptoms" (e.g. nausea, vomiting, dizziness, visual disturbances, sensitivity to noise and light)
		Possible triggers
		Name and dosage of the medication you took for it
		Effect of the medication using school grades: very good to unsatisfactory
		Other measures which you took (e.g. relaxation exercises, bed rest)
		Effects of these measures, again using school grades: very good to unsatisfactory