Tests For Migraine Headaches

If you are feeling some or all of the symptoms of migraine headaches this can be a very serious condition and you need to see a doctor. A doctor will evaluate the level of severity of your migraine headaches. A doctor will also ask questions to determine if you are having migraine headaches, cluster headaches, or if you have a more serious condition.

A doctor will ask you a series of questions and ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 1-5. You need to be able to tell your doctor how long you have been experiencing these symptoms, how old you were when they started, and what you have been doing when they occur. A doctor will also need to know how often you are having migraine headaches to determine how severe your migraine headaches really are. A doctor will ask you what specific symptoms of migraine headaches you are experience so that they can rule out any other conditions that you may have.

A doctor will also ask you for a full family history so that they can determine whether or not migraines run in your family. This is because genetics plays such a big role in migraine headaches and chances are that if someone in your family has had them you are likely to be experiencing them. This evaluation will allow the doctor to determine if you have migraine headaches and your doctor will decide if you need to have any tests performed to rule out other conditions. From this your doctor can run neurological tests and also a physical examination.

During the physical assessment your doctor will examine any of the symptoms you are having and determine if you have any other conditions that may be causing the pain. A doctor will begin with basic tests like checking your blood pressure to see if it is high or low. They will also take your temperature to see if you have a fever which can cause headaches. They will check your breathing and heartbeat for any irregularities. They will also check your sinuses to rule out sinus headaches. They will check for any signs of infection to be sure you do not have an illness that is causing your pain.

A doctor can also check your balance to make sure that you will not fall and determine if you are dizzy. Your doctor will also ask you questions to ensure that you are not having any difficulty speaking. They will then check your vision because blurry vision can sometimes cause a headache. A doctor will do all of this during your physical examination to rule out any other illnesses and be sure you are having migraine headaches.

The physical exam will determine whether or not you need to have any neurological tests done. Once your doctor determines that you need to have neurological examinations there are several different exams that they can perform. These are very important to have run because they can rule out any other serious conditions. These tests can also discover what type of headaches you are experiencing.

One of the first tests a doctor will recommend is an eye exam. This is because vision problems will often cause headaches. This test will be performed by an eye doctor who will check your vision for any problems. They will also give you an eye pressure test which will make sure that there is nothing wrong with your optic nerve which can cause headaches. If there is nothing wrong with your vision there are still many other tests that can be run.

The next test that can be performed is a blood test. A blood chemistry test can rule out other conditions such as thyroid, diabetes, and more which can cause a headache. Usually when this test is performed a doctor will run a urinalysis. A urinalysis is a test that will be performed on your urine to make sure that you do not have any other conditions that may be causing your headaches.

If you are experiencing headaches frequently a doctor can perform a CT Scan on your brain. This test is done to rule out any serious issues that may be causing your headaches. A CT Scan will create a cross section picture of your body and give your doctor a better view. A MRI test is even more useful because it uses radio waves and magnets to produce a very clear image of the brain. It shows sections of the brain that a CT scan may not be able to see. If these tests do not show any issues and some of your symptoms involve your sinuses a doctor may order a Sinus X-Ray. A sinus x-ray will take an x-ray image of your sinuses to see if you have any sinus condition which may be causing your headaches.

If all of these tests do not show any other conditions your doctor may want to perform a spinal tap. A spinal tap is painful and may end up causing a headache when performed. This procedure is performed to test your spinal cord and brain for any infections that may be present. To perform this test they will remove some of the spinal fluid from your spinal canal.

These are all of the tests that your doctor can perform to help determine your condition. From the initial questions your doctor can asked he will be able to understand the symptoms you are experience. Then, with the physical examination a doctor can rule out things like fever and infection. From there a doctor will decide what tests need to be performed based on your symptoms. After reviewing this information a doctor should be able to tell you if you have migraine headaches and what type.

On the next page we are going to examine your Migraine Treatment Options.