Headaches are episodes of pain that happen above the eyes or ears, behind the head or in the upper neck area. There are four primary types of headache, and the first step to getting better is to figure out which one is affecting you. (Other types of headaches also exist, but these are known as secondary headaches, which result from a disease.)
One strategy recommended by the experts at the St. Luke’s Headache Center — to both isolate the exact kind of headaches you have and to move forward towards treatment — is to keep a headache diary. Simply jot down the events or conditions surrounding your headaches whenever you get them:
- Time(s) of day or night that headache occurs
- Weather
- Environment (the presence of noise, smoke, crowds, or other)
- Response to light
- Foods eaten
- Hydration
- Alcohol consumption