Learn about Migraine in adults diagnosis at Consumer Reports Health.

Migraine in adults

How do doctors diagnose migraines?

Your doctor will probably be able to diagnose migraine just by talking to you.

Source:
Dowson AJ, Sender J, Lipscombe S, et al.
Establishing principles for migraine management in primary care.
International Journal of Clinical Practice. 2003; 57: 493-507.

Or your doctor may refer you to a specialist called a neurologist. Again, the specialist may be able to tell that you've got migraine just by talking to you.

The doctor will probably ask you:

Source:
Dowson AJ, Lipscombe S, Sender J, et al.
MIPCA Migraine Guidelines Development Group. Migraine in primary care advisors: new guidelines for the management of migraine in primary care.
Current Medical Research and Opinion. 2002; 18: 414-439.

About the pain (where is it, what it feels like, and what makes it better or worse?)
How the headaches affect your life (what do you do when you have an attack?)
How often you get these types of headaches
If you get any other symptoms
Whether the other symptoms go away between headaches
Whether you have tried any over-the-counter medicines to treat your headaches (did they work?).

Your doctor asks these questions to help him or her decide whether you have migraines or another type of headache.

² For example, sometimes people take painkillers too often and this can actually cause a headache. This type of headache is called a medication-overuse headache, and it can become an almost-daily problem.

Another common type of headache is called a tension-type headache. This type of headache usually causes mild to moderate pain affecting both sides of the head, and it may be triggered by stress.

Source:
Kaniecki R.
Headache assessment and management.
Journal of the American Medical Association. 2003; 289: 1430-1433.

Sources for the information on this page:

Dowson AJ, Sender J, Lipscombe S, et al.Establishing principles for migraine management in primary care.International Journal of Clinical Practice. 2003; 57: 493-507.

Dowson AJ, Lipscombe S, Sender J, et al.MIPCA Migraine Guidelines Development Group. Migraine in primary care advisors: new guidelines for the management of migraine in primary care.Current Medical Research and Opinion. 2002; 18: 414-439.

Kaniecki R.Headache assessment and management.Journal of the American Medical Association. 2003; 289: 1430-1433.

This information was last updated on May 12, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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