Making the Diagnosis
If you tend to have headaches that are frequent and severe, your doctor
will examine you for any serious, life-threatening conditions (e.g., stroke,
meningitis) and start emergency care if needed. As well, if you regularly
have headaches and experience a change in the pattern of your usual headaches,
you should see your doctor. Typically, a thorough medical history and physical
examination is enough for a good diagnosis. Since tension headaches are very
common, your doctor will take a history by asking questions about your current
stress level and other personal factors (e.g., work) that may be triggering
your headaches. Depending on the location, duration, and any accompanying symptoms,
the type of headache can be determined. In some cases, a brain scan called a
CAT (computer assisted tomography) scan or MRI (magnetic resonance
imaging) may be used to check for serious causes of headache.