Printable headache diary template

Print the diary Download the PDF (A4 landscape, 2 pages)

How to fill it in

• One row per day. Write the date and the day of the week. On a day with no headache, put 0 in the pain column. That shows how often headaches happen.
• Times. When the headache started and when it ended. If you're not sure when it stopped, write roughly.
• Pain score. 0 is no pain, 10 is the worst pain you can imagine. Use the same scale every time.
• Symptoms. For example feeling or being sick, sensitivity to light or sound, or aura.
• Medicine. Every medicine you take for the headache, the dose and the time. If you take a second dose, write it again.
• Period. Tick the days your period is happening, if that's relevant to you.
• Possible triggers and notes. Anything you think might be related, like a missed meal or poor sleep. You don't need to be sure. See how to track migraine triggers.

Where the columns come from

The columns follow what UK headache charities ask for. The National Migraine Centre asks you to record every migraine or other headache for a month by date and day of the week, with the start time, a 0 to 10 pain score, all medication and the times you took it, and other comments such as when your period is happening. The Migraine Trust suggests keeping it simple: date and day, how long the attack lasted, how bad it was, other symptoms, medication including a second dose, and anything else that may help.

Both charities offer their own templates too. If your clinic has asked you to use a specific form, use that one.

What the NHS says

The NHS headaches page says keeping a headache diary might help you work out what triggers your headaches, and points to The Migraine Trust for what to record. The NHS migraine page says it can help to keep a migraine diary. The NHS also says to see a GP if you regularly get headaches. A filled-in diary is a good thing to bring.

More on this in how to keep a headache diary.

Prefer your phone?

Easing is a headache and migraine diary for iPhone. It records the same things as this sheet: start and end, pain level, where it hurts, symptoms, medication and possible triggers. It can make a PDF of your history to share with your doctor. It's coming soon to the App Store and isn't available to download yet. Until then, this paper diary does the job. See the headache diary app page.

Questions