Online headache diary
Easing Team
The people who make Easing
Short answer
Log each headache below: when it started, how long it lasted, how bad it was from 0 to 10, any medicine and whether it helped, and anything you think set it off. The diary counts your headache days and medicine days for each month and prints the last 8 weeks for your doctor. These are the things NICE, which writes the NHS guidance, asks people to record in a headache diary for at least 8 weeks. Everything stays in your browser.
In this post
- Headache days
- 0
- Entries
- 0
- Average pain
- 0
- Paracetamol, aspirin or NSAID days
- 0
- Triptan, opioid, ergot or combination days
- 0
- Of which triptan days
- 0
Possible triggers noted this month
These are things you noted, not proof of what caused a headache.
Your entries, newest first
No entries yet.
Saved in this browser on your device only. Nothing is uploaded. Clearing your browser data deletes it, so export a CSV now and then.
What to record for each headache
NICE's guideline on headaches (CG150) says a headache diary should cover, for at least 8 weeks:
- how often you get headaches, how long they last and how bad they are
- any symptoms that come with them
- all medicines you take for them, prescribed or bought over the counter
- possible triggers
- how they relate to your period, if you have one
The form above has a field for each. Pain is on a 0 to 10 scale; pick the worst it got.
How the medicine days are counted
A day counts once however many tablets you took that day. The diary splits medicine days into the two groups NICE uses: paracetamol, aspirin or an NSAID such as ibuprofen; and triptans, opioids, ergots or combination painkillers. NICE asks doctors to be alert to medication overuse headache when someone takes the second group on 10 or more days a month, or the first group on 15 or more days a month, for 3 months or more. If a month reaches either line, the diary says so, and suggests you talk to your GP. It doesn't tell you what's causing your headaches. For a quick count without a full diary, use the medicine days counter.
Spotting possible triggers
The trigger list comes from The Migraine Trust's common triggers. The diary counts how often you ticked each one in a month. That shows what you noticed, not what caused anything: The Migraine Trust points out that a diary can also show that something you thought was a trigger isn't. More in how to track migraine triggers.
Taking it to your appointment
Print the last 8 weeks gives a page with month totals at the top and every entry below. Bring it with the questions in what to tell your doctor about headaches. Prefer paper? Use the printable headache diary or the migraine calendar.
Use it as a spreadsheet
Export CSV gives Date, Start, Hours, Pain (0-10), Medicine, Medicine type, Helped, Symptoms, Possible triggers and Notes. It opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets (File > Import > Upload). Import CSV reads the same columns back, in any order.
On your iPhone
We make Easing, a headache diary for iPhone, coming soon to the App Store. It logs an attack in a few taps and puts the same counts in a PDF for your doctor. This web diary is free and works without it.
Questions people ask
Is this headache diary free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no account and no sign-up. There's nothing to buy.
Where is my diary saved?
In this browser's local storage, on your device only. Nothing is uploaded. If you clear your browser data or switch browsers, it starts empty, so export a CSV as a backup.
How long should I keep a headache diary?
NICE says at least 8 weeks when a diary is used to help work out what kind of headache you have. The printout covers the last 8 weeks.
Can it tell me what kind of headache I have?
No. It's a diary, not a medical device, and it doesn't diagnose anything. It keeps the record your doctor uses.
Can I use it in Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Export CSV and open the file in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. You can import it back later.
Sources: NICE guideline CG150, Headaches in over 12s, recommendations 1.1.4 and 1.2.7; The Migraine Trust, Migraine attack triggers (last reviewed September 2025). Checked 29 October 2026.
