Ep 3 Heard, not dismissed: Making the most of your migraine or headache appointment

Getting the right support for migraine or headache can sometimes feel difficult. How can you prepare for an appointment, make sure your concerns are heard, and get the most out of the time you have with your healthcare professional?

In this episode of Heads Up podcast, our host Dr Katy Munro is joined by Dr Lauren Wellburn and Dr Surangi Mendis, all three headache specialists at the National Migraine Centre, with extensive experience helping people living with migraine and other headache conditions. In this episode they share practical advice on preparing for appointments, keeping a simple headache diary, explaining your symptoms and treatment history, and being clear about what you want from your care.

They also discuss what to do if a treatment isn't working, when it may be helpful to seek a second opinion, and why it's important to understand what happens next.

The episode explores some of the barriers people can face when accessing headache care, including language, health literacy, race, gender, cultural attitudes and wider health inequalities.

Additional information:

1. https://migrainetrust.org/live-with-migraine/healthcare/visiting-your-gp/

2. https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/what-to-ask-your-doctor/

3. https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/racial-disparities-in-migraine-care

4. https://www.nationalmigrainecentre.org.uk/headache-diary/