How do doctors diagnose migraines?

Your doctor will probably be able to diagnose migraine just by talking to you. ¹

Or your GP may refer you to a specialist called a neurologist. Again, the specialist may be able to tell that you get migraines just by talking to you.

Your doctor will probably ask you:²

• 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 GP or specialist 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.³