The nurse is caring for a patient being seen at a walk-in clinic for an acute migraine headache. The patient winces every time the light is turned on in the examining room
The patient is unable to identify what triggered the headache. What should the nurse teach the patient to do first in order to determine a plan of care for the headaches?
a. Keep a headache diary.
b. Avoid sugar and caffeine.
c. Avoid bright light and noise.
d. Avoid taking analgesics until the cause has been determined.
ANS: A
The patient can identify aggravating factors by keeping a headache diary for a time, recording the time of day the headache occurs, foods eaten or other aggravating factors, description of the pain, identification of associated symptoms such as nausea or visual disturbances, and other factors related to headache symptoms. Avoiding foods or lights and noise might be helpful, but they do not help identify factors causing headaches. Avoiding analgesics is unrealistic.
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