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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor. However, you may be referred immediately to a neurologist, a doctor who specializes in treating nervous system disorders, such as headache.
Because appointments can be brief, and there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment. Try to keep track of when you have a headache, how long it lasts, and what you were doing when the headache started.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking, and share this information with your doctor.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions may help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For cluster headaches, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What's the most likely cause of my symptoms?
- Are there other possible causes for my symptoms?
- What kinds of tests do I need? What will these tests rule out?
- Is my condition likely temporary or chronic?
- What treatments are available? Which do you recommend?
- What are the alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?
- I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- Are there any restrictions that I need to follow?
- Do I need to see a specialist?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- What are common side effects to the medications you're prescribing?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment if you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor will likely ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on later. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- Have your symptoms been continuous, or occasional?
- Do your symptoms tend to occur at the same time of day? Do they occur during the same season each year?
- Does alcohol appear to cause your symptoms?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Patient information: Headache causes and diagnosis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 19, 2008.
- Goetz CG. Headache. In: Goetz CG. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/115317111-2/787037600/1488/451.html. Accessed Dec. 29, 2008.
- Leroux E, et al. Cluster headache. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 2008;3:20.
- Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/headache/detail_headache.htm?css=print. Accessed Dec. 29, 2008.
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Approach to the patient with headache syndromes other than migraine. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 19, 2008.
- Treatment of primary headache: Cluster headache. National Guideline Clearinghouse. http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=6582&nbr=004142&string=clus. Accessed Jan. 2, 2009.
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Patient information: Headache treatment in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 19, 2008.
- Magis D, et al. Neurostimulation in Chronic Cluster Headache. Current Pain and Headache Reports. 2008;12:145.
- Rossi P, et al. Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with cluster headache: Results of a multi-centre headache clinic survey. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 2008;16:220.
- Swanson JW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 12, 2009.
