Headaches are one of the most common things people mention after a car crash, and they are easy to lose track of by the time you sit down with an examiner. Some start the same day. Others begin days later, after the adrenaline wears off and the normal routine returns. Some come with neck stiffness, some with sensitivity to light, and some with nothing else you can name. This guide explains how to write them down so your exam has something concrete to work with. It does not explain what is causing yours, because that takes an in-person examination.
Start With the Timing
Write down the date and time each headache began, and whether it started during the drive, at the scene, later that day, or after you woke up. If you felt fine at the roadside but noticed head pain the next morning, record that too. A specific date is more useful than a general phrase like recently or a few days ago.
Also note the first day you noticed any head pain at all, even if it was mild. Many people dismiss an early headache as tension or lack of sleep, then forget it when they later describe their symptoms.
Describe the Location and Feel
Use plain words for where the pain sits. Front, back, one side, behind the eyes, across the top, or at the base of the skull are all useful. Note whether it moves, spreads down into the neck or between the shoulder blades, or stays in one place. Describe the feel in your own terms: pressure, throbbing, sharp, dull, tight, or burning. There are no wrong words as long as they match what you felt.
Log Each Episode
For every headache, write the start time, how long it lasted, and a number from 0 to 10 that reflects how strong it felt to you. Use the same scale every time so the entries can be compared. Then write what you were doing in the hour before it began. Common entries include long screen time, driving, lifting, sitting at a desk, or time spent in cold or bright conditions.
Next, record what helped and what made it worse. Rest, a dark room, a cool cloth, a short walk, or drinking water are typical entries. Bright light, noise, reading, a long drive, or a skipped meal are typical triggers. Write what you did and what happened, not what you think it means.
Track Symptoms That Travel With Headaches
Headaches often come with other changes, and examiners find those connections helpful. In the same log, note any neck or upper back stiffness, jaw discomfort, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, trouble concentrating, or changes in how you sleep. Write each one down even if it seems unrelated. You can decide later what matters.
When Waiting Is Not the Plan
Some warning signs call for prompt medical care rather than a scheduled visit. These include a sudden, severe headache that feels unlike any you have had before, confusion, weakness or numbness on one side, trouble speaking, fainting, repeated vomiting, a stiff neck with fever, or a headache that keeps getting worse over time. If any of these happen, call emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department right away. This is general information, not advice about your specific situation.
Bring the Log to Your Visit
Bring your written log to the appointment, or have it on your phone. Point to the entries that worry you most and say which ones are new since the crash. Add any medicine you took for head pain, with the amount and the time, so the examiner can see the full picture. Keep your entries short, dated and factual. If you checked on a day and had no headache, write that down as well, because a clear run of quiet days is also information.
A headache log will not tell you the cause or how long recovery will take. What it does is give your examiner a clearer starting point and help you ask better questions. If headaches continue, return, or change in character, that is a good reason to schedule an exam soon rather than waiting to see what happens.