Keeping a Headache Diary or Journal

Which do you prefer, diary or journal? The denotation of the words is basically the same, but let's face it, there are major connotative differences. Diary kind of sounds like something a teenaged girl keeps track of her crushes in, while a journal sounds like something a novelist keeps track of her ideas in. Whatever you decide to call it really doesn't matter, what does matter is that you seriously consider keeping one.

Migraines headaches have triggers. For most people, narrowing down what that trigger is and successfully avoiding it can seriously curtail the frequency or severity. In some cases it may even lead to never having a migraine again.

Although the hardware involved is generally up to your preference, keep in mind that you may be wanting to show your entries to a doctor, so unless have the kind of penmanship that people tend to notice and comment upon, it's highly recommended that you enter the information into the computer so you can print it out.

The trick in keeping a migraine journal is sticking with it. You're on the lookout for patterns. Patterns that will ultimately link together to form an answer to your question: Why do I get headaches when I do? It may take weeks or even months to reach this answer. Give it time since patterns and correlation's don’t occur overnight. Keep at it and be specific. Try to write the information down as soon as a headache occurs.

So what goes into a headache diary or journal? The following are guidelines, but each individual journal will probably differ. You may notice things that affect your headaches that other people don't. And even if you notice something that you think couldn't possibly have any effect on your pain, go ahead and record it. You never know, right?

Your headache diary should definitely include information about:

when the head pains started, including whether there is a pattern to what time of day they generally onset

the frequency with which your headaches occur

any other accompanying symptoms such as nausea or visual disturbances

the duration of the headache and if there anything that seems to affect how long the attacks last

exact location of the pain

what kind of pain you feel: throbbing, piercing, aching

what you eat, trying to notice if there is a consistency in the ingredients

what time you eat

what medications you are taking, including any vitamins and other health-related products

any exercise you do, when and for how long

how much sleep you get

weather conditions, especially any significant changes in barometric pressure

Women should record all details of their menstrual cycle, especially anything you may have done differently preceding the attack

Any lifestyle that occurred during the ten hours prior to the onset of the headache. Some things to be aware of, especially, are things that might have contributed to increasing your stress levels, any change in bowel movement, any change in sleeping patterns, etc.

Be very aware of alcohol consumption and caffeine consumption. Both alcohol and caffeine play a huge part in triggering headaches. Record not only how much alcohol you may have ingested, but also what kind, i.e., beer, wine or hard liquor. In addition, realize that caffeine is not limited to coffee, tea and soft drinks. Sports drinks are loaded with caffeine, as is many candies and gums.

Don't worry about getting too explicit, but keep track of your sex life. Women especially need to keep track of whether they achieved orgasm or not in close proximity to the onset of a migraine.

If you're the type who feels that keeping a handwritten notebook is just way too medieval and you just absolutely have to engage with technology in order to do something like this, you are in such luck. Eheadahcejournal.com allows users, for a price, to keep an anonymous online track of their headaches. Additionally, the software will allow you to make nifty little charts and reports that you can print out to help in narrowing down exactly when, why and how your headaches get triggered.

Dealing with Student Migraines in School

According to the American Council for Headache Education (ACHE), school nurses treat an average of at least ten students a month for headache complaints. Many of these turn to be migraine headaches. If you thought migraine was just an adult disease, consider the following statistics.

Recurring headaches occur in 38% to 83% of children 7 to15 year of age

Recurring headaches occur in 1% to 37% of children 3 to 6 years of age

Migraine headaches occur in approximately 1.2% to 11% of children.

Headaches in children is a far more serious problem that most people realize. The truth is that most kids under eighteen have headaches several times a year, typically either tension headaches or migraines, though children certain cannot be considered immune to cluster headaches. The frequency of migraines rises among females once they enter puberty; far more teenaged girls experience migraines than teenaged boys. This disparity is usually linked to estrogen changes the begin with the onset of menstruation.

There are several warning signs that indicate that migraines may be a problem. A child need not be complaining of more than a few of these in order to be concerned about the possibility that he is suffering from migraines. Just one or two may be enough to warrant further investigation. School is certainly an environment that is conducive to several of these symptoms and so even if a student does complain of two or three of these that also doesn’t necessarily mean that migraines are the cause.

Be aware not only of a student complaining about things, but also the consistency and the context. For instance, if student exhibits signs of nausea and must leave the room suddenly to vomit, it could be a sign of a migraine, or it could just be a math test next period. A student suffering from migraine often exhibits personality changes. This may be unusual in elementary school, but once a student makes it to the upper levels of education, you can pretty much guarantee personality changes. Be especially attuned to statements by the student indicating that the severity of the current headache is the worst he's ever experienced. This is definitely something be concerned about. If the student is running a fever of complains about a stiff neck, a migraine could very possibly be the root the cause.

It's very important for teachers to take an active role in identifying students who may be suffering from migraines. Headaches, especially migraines, can seriously undermine the entire school experience. In addition to affecting the student's academic performance, headaches may also curtail the student's desire and ability take part in activities and extracurricular fun. Headaches may even be a sign of more serious trouble, from depression to a tumor. Teachers also present a secondary authority source that may be less threatening to the student that family members; she may be more comfortable confiding about a history of headaches in you than in her parents.

Finally, there are some things a teacher can do to help students who suffer from headaches. They won't necessarily relieve the pain and they certainly won't solve the problem, but they could help and they certainly won't hurt.

Children and teens should drink at least 4 to 8 glasses of fluid a day so if your school policy allows permits, allow students to bring water bottles to your class.

It is recommended that children get 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night so why not help them achieve that by giving them a little extra time to get their homework done before going home, offer extra encouragement for them to get sleep.

Certain foods such processed meats, cheeses, caffeine, chocolate can trigger a migraine so if you notice your student who is suffering from headaches is constantly ingesting some or all of these, advise him to abstain.

Stress and uncertain schedules often trigger migraines, so if you notice the student is taking on too much, arrange a conference with his parents to discuss the possibility that rearranging his schedule may contribute to lessening his headaches.

Believe the child when he complains of headaches and send him to the clinic.