ABSTRACT
This chapter, written for undergraduate medical students and post-graduate doctors in training, presents information on how to manage their own headache — a scenario which they are likely to encounter in the future in a general practice setting. It provides details of the medical history and the key findings of clinical examination and helps them develop their skills of clinical reasoning. Key questions then prompt the student to reach a decision regarding their condition and the possible treatment plan. The headaches usually occur on a Friday night and can last through the weekend — exhausting when this is the time for relaxation after a busy week. However, they can come at any time and when they happen at work life gets very difficult. The General Medical Council in their 2013 booklet, Good Practice in Prescribing and Managing Medicines and Devices, advises that doctors should, wherever possible, avoid treating themselves or anyone with whom they have a close personal relationship.
