Children get headaches and migraines too, and they are the people least likely to be believed about them. Parents in pain communities describe a child's pain being put down to avoiding school, or worse. A child cannot argue their own case in a doctor's room. A parent with a dated record can. This guide shows how to keep one without turning your child into a patient at home.
What to write down
- When it started, and what your child was doing: at school, after sport, in the car, on waking.
- How long it lasted, or when they were back to normal.
- How strong it was. See below for how to ask.
- Where it hurt. Let them point.
- What came with it. Feeling or being sick, tummy ache, looking pale, wanting the dark or quiet, dizziness.
- What they stopped doing. Stopped playing, lay down, came home from school, fell asleep.
- What you gave or did, with the time, and how they were two hours later.
- School days missed. Doctors nearly always ask.
Add how the day before went if something stood out: a late night, a missed meal, little to drink, a long time at a screen, an exciting or upsetting day. These are things to mention to the doctor. They are not proof of a cause.
How to ask a child about pain
- Young children: numbers mean little. Offer a row of faces from smiling to crying, or three choices: a little, medium, a lot.
- School-age children: a 0 to 10 scale works if you fix what the ends mean. See our guide to the pain scale.
- Watch what they do. A child who stops playing and lies down in a dark room is telling you how strong it is.
- Ask once, calmly, and write it down. Repeated questions make some children play it down and others dwell on it.
- Write their words. "It bangs" or "my eyes hurt" is worth more than your translation.
Keep it light for both of you
The diary should not make headaches the centre of family life. Make the entry yourself, quickly, and move on. Do not ask about headaches on days without one; a simple mark for a good day is enough. Teenagers may prefer to keep their own record, and that is usually the better one.
For the doctor
Before the appointment, count the headache days per month, the usual length, the days with medicine and the school days missed, and put them on one page. Bring the diary as well. If your child is old enough, let them tell it in their own words first and add your numbers afterwards. Our appointment checklist has the full list.
When to get help quickly
A diary is for headaches that come back. Do not wait and write if a headache is sudden and severe, follows a blow to the head, or comes with fever and a stiff neck, confusion, weakness, trouble speaking or seeing, or repeated vomiting. Call your doctor or your local emergency number.
How Pain Tracker does it
Pain Tracker is the Family Health app, and it is built for one person keeping records for others. Each child has their own journal next to yours. One tap on Headache or Migraine starts an entry for the child you have chosen, and End works out the length. Another adult in the family can be invited, so that an entry made at one parent's home is seen at the other's. The doctor summary is made per person.
Coming in version 2.0. The screens below are from version 2.0, which is on its way to the App Store. Update the app once it appears.
Pain Tracker keeps a record. It does not diagnose, and it is not a substitute for seeing a doctor.
Questions people ask
How do I keep a headache diary for my child?
Write one line per headache: the date and time, how long it lasted, how strong it was, what your child was doing, what came with it, what you gave and whether it helped. Add missed school days.
How can a young child rate their pain?
Young children often cannot use numbers. Ask them to choose from a row of faces, or use three words such as a little, medium and a lot. Note what they stopped doing, which says a great deal.
When should I take my child to a doctor for headaches?
See a doctor if the headaches keep coming back, get worse, wake your child at night or keep them from school. Get urgent help for a sudden severe headache, a headache after a blow to the head, or one with fever and a stiff neck, confusion, weakness or repeated vomiting.
Should my teenager keep their own headache diary?
If they are willing, yes. Teenagers know best how it felt. Agree on a simple form, and offer to do the counting before the appointment.
This article is general information about keeping a record. It is not medical advice and does not replace your doctor. If your pain is new, sudden, severe or changing, see a doctor; in an emergency call your local emergency number.
