Q How should I keep a migraine diary so I can find my triggers well?
A Record the date and time of onset, the location and intensity of pain (0 to 10), duration, accompanying symptoms (nausea, light/sound sensitivity), medications taken, and that day's meals, sleep, menstrual cycle, and stress level. At least four weeks of records is recommended.
Detailed Answer
Using a headache diary app (e.g., Migraine Buddy, Healow) is convenient because it shows patterns in graph form. Recording for four weeks or more lets you identify connections with trigger foods, wake-up times, the menstrual cycle, and weather changes. Sharing it with your doctor or Korean Medicine doctor also helps in establishing a treatment plan.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang we use the headache diary as a key clue for pattern diagnosis. By recording whether the headache is worse in the morning or afternoon, whether it comes on the day of stress or the next day, and whether it occurs before or after menstruation, we can more accurately distinguish whether the root is Ascending Liver Yang, Blood Deficiency, Phlegm-Fluid, or Blood Stasis. For those visiting from Dong-gu, Incheon, bringing two weeks of diary records before your first visit makes diagnosis faster.
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