Have you long gone and considered whether you should discuss your headache with your doctor or whether it is abnormal for your headache to go beyond your ability to work and your social life? Here is neurologist Signe Bruun Munksgaard's best advice on what questions you should ask yourself before your first doctor's appointment to be as prepared as possible.
Signe Bruun Munksgaard, MD, PhD og speciallæge i neurologi har 17 års erfaring i behandling af hovedpinelidelser. Hun har tidligere været afdelingslæge og forsker på Dansk Hovedpinecenter. Nu arbejder hun som neurolog her hos Hemi og som afdelingslæge på Hovedpineklinikken på Bispebjerg Hospital.
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“If you experience recurring headaches and you don't have a good effect from the over-the-counter medicine you take to get the headache away, then I think you should go to the doctor for some advice”. Typically, you have a short time to consult your doctor. Therefore, it can often be both nice and beneficial to have prepared how best to describe to your doctor what symptoms you are experiencing. It may be a good idea to consider:
“It may be a good idea to think about what you would like to get out of the conversation with your GP. Are you showing up because you're worried? Would you like to explore the possibility of getting medical treatment? Would you like to discuss how you have experienced changes in your headache? It can often be easier to get the most out of your consultation with your doctor if you have considered in advance what questions you would like answered. Depending on how familiar you are with your headache and whether it is something you have previously discussed with your GP, you may also appropriately consider discussing the possibility of getting a referral to a practising neurologist or headache specialist who is an expert in the field”.
“If you suddenly start experiencing other symptoms alongside your headache, such as dizziness or difficulty speaking, you should see a doctor immediately. In fact, it is important both to investigate whether there is a relationship with one's headache and to rule out any other causes of these symptoms.”
Are you unsure if you should see a doctor about your headache? Read with hereto, in which our neurologist makes his recommendations for when you should see a doctor.
You can also take our migraine test and get an indication of whether your symptoms fit the migraine.
