Questionnaire used to collect anamnesis in the diagnosis of headaches

1. How many different types of headaches do you have? If more than one, answer the questions below, characterizing separately the most and least intense headaches.

2. How long does the nature of the headaches change? If in the last 2 years new types of headaches have appeared or the characteristics of the old ones have changed, it is necessary to use additional diagnostic methods (for example, neuroimaging methods)

3. How often do you have a headache? Are there days when headaches do not bother you at all? Patients who have headaches more often 3 days a week, ask about the possible excessive use of drugs. Such patients should be prescribed prophylactic treatment.

4. How long is each episode of a headache? Most headaches last 8–12 hours. Short durations (<2 hours) are characteristic of a beam headache. Treatment of headaches lasting 12 hours or more may require long-acting drugs.

5. What do you usually do when you have headaches? Are you able to observe the usual rhythm of life or do you have to limit activity? The daily activity of patients suffering from tension headache usually does not change, and during migraine patients often tend to darkness, rest and isolation (due to the development of light and fear of fear). Often the cessation of migraine contributes to sleep. If the headache is chronic and significantly reduces the ability to work, it is usually a migraine. Unlike migraine, a cluster headache attack causes excitement in patients: they rush about, smoke, sweat or hit themselves on the head

6. Do you have any discomfort or stomach pain during headaches? Patients with tension headache may lose their appetite, but nausea is uncharacteristic for them. Migraine is often accompanied by nausea, and vomiting, as a rule, reduces the symptoms of migraine

7. Do you currently have a headache? If so, is its intensity different from normal? Having carefully studied the behavior of the patient with a headache during the visit, identify characteristic violations of his behavior or increased sensitivity to the volume of normal spoken language or normal room lighting.

8. Where do you have a headache? Does it always hurt in a certain area and does the headache change? Often the localization of stress headaches is different. Cluster headaches almost always affect the paraorbital region of the same side. Migraine usually affects one side of the head, but usually goes to the other side. If only one side of the head hurts during migraine, a more thorough examination is necessary, for example, using imaging techniques to exclude causal pathologies, such as arteriovenous malformation

9. Did you have any other health problems after headaches began or their character changed? Patients with additional complaints of somatic or neurological disorders are subject to more thorough examination.

10. Do you associate the renewal or intensification of headaches with something specifically? Patients may be suspicious of specific provoking factors. Keeping a diary (see below) will confirm or disprove the existence of these factors.

11. What medications do you take? What do you use during headaches? Do you take non-prescription drugs, herbs or natural supplements? Have you recently had to replace previously used drugs with others? Often a headache is caused by side effects of drugs. Drug headache may develop as a result of taking higher doses of painkillers. For the safety of prescribed treatment, awareness of all medicines used by the patient (including non-prescription drugs and natural supplements) is necessary.