Question: Headaches 4 of 5 times a week, sometimes lasting weeks. See a doctor?
Answer: Full Question:
Hi, My name is Crystal and I am 16 years old and I have had headaches since I was around 2 or 3 years old. I can get them about four or five times a week or sometimes they last for several weeks at a time. I have a family history of headaches and migraines. I have gotten so used to having headaches that sometimes I don't notice that I have them. Should I be worried about anything thing besides stress that could be causing this? Should I go see a doctor? What questions should i ask him? Thank You, Crystal.
Answer:
Dear Crystal;
Absolutely, you should see a doctor! Your head pain needs to be diagnosed and properly treated. If you have Migraines, you're not having "just headaches." Migraine is a disease, and Migraineurs should be under the care of a doctor. Anyone who has unexplained headaches of any kind should see their doctor.
Keeping a head pain diary would be a big help to you and your doctor both...
Keeping a Headache and Migraine Diary
One of the most helpful tools for you and your doctors is a Headache and Migraine Diary. It’s useful to track triggers, the effectiveness of meds, and patterns to your headache pain. There are many ways to do this, but for the purpose of your doctor reviewing it, printed pages are usually preferable to a bound journal. We have a diary ready for you to print our download to use on your computer.
You can find information here about what questions to ask your doctor, even if he isn't a new doctor...
Guide To Visiting a New Doctor:
Helpful information and sample questions for preparing for a visit with a new doctor or for any appointment for which you could use some help.
Good luck,
Teri Robert and John Claude Krusz
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Published April 9, 2006
