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Knowing you have headache pain is easy. Explaining it to your doctor may be more difficult. Legendary author and headache-sufferer Virginia Woolf shared the problem of many. "The merest schoolgirl when she falls in love, has Shakespeare or Keats to speak her mind," she once stated, "but let a sufferer try to describe a pain in his head to a doctor, and language at once runs dry."

It's simple: the more accurately you can describe your pain to your doctor, the better the treatment. Dr. Seymour Diamond, Director of the National Headache Foundation and founder of the Chicago-based Diamond Headache Clinic, suggests proper communication helps both the doctor and the headache sufferer. "In order to make an accurate diagnosis and understand what is happening with the patient, the patient has to give the doctor a detailed description..." With detailed communication, a physician is more likely to make a proper diagnosis, making treatment faster and more effective.

Don't assume doctors will always ask the 'right' questions. While pain descriptions are needed for diagnosis, it's important to remember that many times the doctor fails to probe for in-depth information about your pain. "When I review case histories done by other doctors, many times they fail to get a proper description of the pain from their patient," says Dr. Diamond.

What needs to be considered when describing headache pain? "You have to determine the 'character' of the pain", noted Dr. Diamond. Be specific when describing your pain; helpful descriptive terms include pulsating, pounding, shooting, throbbing, squeezing, burning, crushing, pressing, piercing, dull, or sharp. Try to be as exact as possible.

Pain sensation is just part of the story. Some doctors believe that your pain's impact or debilitating effect is equally or sometimes more revealing than a description of its characteristics. Tell your doctor if your pain causes disruption in your work or day-to-day activities, family or social life; let him know if it causes severe debilitation. These factors could be vital to your doctor when making a diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

Timing, frequency and associated symptoms are also important. Your doctor will want to know several specifics about your pain: what time of day or night your headaches occur; how often they occur (once a week, daily, during a specific task or activity, etc.); the duration as well as the intensity of the pain. You should also share other important information with your doctor: Does the pain make you nauseous? Do your eyes water with the pain? Do you have a family history of headaches? Are you taking over-the-counter or prescription medication? Location of your pain can be just as telling as the way it feels. Is it on one side (unilateral), both sides (bi-lateral), or do you feel pain in the neck, face, top or sides of your head?

Keep a diary of your headaches in preparation for your first doctor visit. "Write down if anything 'triggers' or provokes your headache," suggests Dr. Diamond. Pain might be brought on by certain foods, bright lights, the weather, or oversleeping. It's very helpful for doctors if a patient keeps a record of their headaches: when they occur, what precipitated them, and any other factors that may be contributing to your pain. A detailed diary of headache triggers as well as pain characteristics provides information to your doctor that will enable him to prescribe a more effective treatment. Make note also of the self-help actions or medications which alleviated your headache pain.

Becoming an active participant in your treatment plan is an important step in eliminating your headache pain once and for all. Improving the way you describe your headache pain can increase the chances of your doctor effectively treating your headache pain.