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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, in some cases you may also be referred to a doctor who specializes in nervous system disorders (neurologist).
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. One of the most helpful things you can do is keep a headache journal. Each time you get a headache, write down a description of the pain — How severe is the pain? Where is it located? How long does it last? — as well as the time of day the headaches occurred and what you were doing when the headache began. Also, include what you were eating or drinking before the headache started, and if you're taking any medications or dietary supplements. A headache journal can offer valuable clues that may help your doctor diagnose your particular kind of headache and discover possible headache triggers.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions ahead of time will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For migraine with aura, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What type of headache am I experiencing?
- What kinds of tests, if any, do I need?
- Is my condition likely temporary or chronic?
- What types of 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 dietary restrictions that I need to follow?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to 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. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- How old were you when your symptoms first began?
- Where is the pain located?
- What types of visual symptoms or other sensations do you have?
- How long do they last?
- Are they always followed by a headache?
- How long do your headaches last?
- How often do you get headaches?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
What you can do in the meantime
Over-the-counter pain relievers may help reduce the pain of a migraine with aura. However, over-reliance on these products may cause a medication-overuse headache.
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of migraine in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
- Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/headache/detail_headache.htm?css=print. Accessed Jan. 11, 2009.
- Pelak VS. Approach to the patient with visual hallucinations. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
- Ramzan M, et al. Headache, migraine, and stroke. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Acute treatment of migraine in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
- Migraine - What are the treatments? American Academy of Neurology. http://www.thebrainmatters.org/index.cfm?key=1.9.6 1/. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Preventive treatment of migraine in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
- Swanson JW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 15, 2009.
- Tinel D, et al. Vertebrobasilar ischemia after cervical spine manipulation: A case report. Annales de readaptation et de medecine physique 208;51:403.
- Haldeman S, et al. Stroke, cerebral artery dissection, and cervical spine manipulation therapy. Journal of Neurology. 2002;249:1098.
