A 35-year-old woman comes to your office to discuss her “bad headaches,” which started after having her first child 2 years ago. The headaches sometimes awaken her from sleep and at times can be disabling and occasionally require her to take Tylenol and rest in a dark room. Sometimes she vomits during an attack. Over the past 6 months, her headaches have become more severe and frequent, prompting her visit today.
What additional questions would you ask to learn more about her headaches?
How do you classify headaches?
How can you determine if this is an old headache or a new headache/s? Is this a chronic or episodic condition?
Can you make a definite diagnosis through an open-ended history followed by focused questions?
How can you use the patient history to distinguish between benign headaches and serious ones that require urgent attention?
What diagnostic tests do you want to include to help you with your diagnosis? Minimum 250 words