The medical history (history) is an important component in the diagnosis of tension headache.
Family history
- Is there a history of frequent headaches in your family?
Social history
- Is there any evidence of psychosocial stress or strain due to your family situation?
Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- Do you experience headaches on one side of the head or both sides?
- How severe is the headache?
- Does the pain radiate?
- How long does the headache last and how often does it occur during the day?
- Do the headaches become more intense with physical activity (e.g., climbing stairs or similar physical activity)?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is very mild and 10 is very severe, how severe is the pain?
- In addition to the headache, do you have accompanying nausea, vomiting, light and noise aversion?
- Do you experience visual disturbances or neurological disturbances such as paralysis or sensory disturbances during the headache?
- Do you have muscle tension in the neck and throat?
- Do you suffer from a depressed mood?
- Do you have any other complaints?
- Do you keep a headache calendar or diary?Note: Headache calendars and diaries are an important tool for confirming diagnosis and monitoring treatment progress.
Vegetative anamnesis including nutritional anamnesis.
Self anamnesis incl. medication anamnesis
- Pre-existing conditions (headaches, musculoskeletal disorders).
- Operations
- Allergies
Medication history
- Analgesics (painkillers)
- Hormones
- NO donors (drugs that release nitric oxide in a non-enzymatic or enzymatic reaction in vascular smooth muscle).
- Phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDE inhibitors; drugs that inhibit enzymes from the phosphodiesterases group).
- Other medications: for more information, see “Drug side effects” under “Headache due to medication.”
Note: For a comprehensive headache history questionnaire, see “Cephalgia”.
