There are many factors that must be observed so that the cause of the headache or headache is known and thus define the most appropriate treatment for headaches. You should observe the following characteristics of your headaches.
When did you start having a headache? In adolescence, adulthood, after trauma…
Frequency of headaches: see if it appears spontaneously or after some circumstance such as menstruation, eating or sleeping. If it appears at fixed periods or unexpectedly.
The duration of the headache is usually variable and can guide us to the diagnosis. Tension headaches usually last several days while vascular ones are shorter.
Due to the location of the headache, we find them bilateral, affecting the entire head or just one side, as in the case of migraines. Tension headaches tend to be located preferentially in the back of the head (occipital)
The timing of headache onset is usually also helpful in diagnosis, some appear at night or when we are sleepy, others when we wake up like migraines, others gradually appear during the day like tension headaches.
Intensity and type of headache: they help less to distinguish what type of headache it is, although as a general rule tension or chronic headaches due to analgesic abuse tend to be more bearable than vascular and organic ones.
The onset of headache is usually sudden in vascular headaches and slow and progressive in tension headaches.
The accompanying symptoms of the headache such as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, etc. They are usually typical of migraine, while blurred vision, lack of concentration, bad mood often accompany tension and chronic headaches.
Headache: When to see a doctor
You should go to your doctor as soon as possible in those cases that:
The headache is very intense, it is the first time you have had it, especially if you are over 50 years of age.
The pain gets progressively worse and does not improve with pain relievers.
If you feel sleepy or if you have a fever.