There are tension headaches, migraine headaches, sinus headaches and then there are summer headaches. While they aren’t technically a diagnosable type of headache, experts encourage their patients to take summer headaches seriously. These headaches, says Dr. Jen Caudle, board certified family physician and associate professor at Rowan University, are triggered or made worse by summer factors including heat, bright light or glare, schedule changes and shifts in air quality or barometric pressure. As summer approaches, Caudle says this tip will keep your head pain-free and your summer pleasant. Expert tip of the day: Keep a headache diary When you have a summer headache, take notes on your symptoms. “You want to write down when they’re coming, what they feel like, what’s going on,” Caudle tells TODAY.com. You’ll likely notice patterns in the conditions and settings that set off or worsen your headaches. Maybe they occur when you go to bed after a certain time, or don’t drink enough water, or increase your alcohol intake, or forget your sunglasses at home. Why it matters A headache diary is useful throughout the summer and beyond, says Caudle. She asks every patient of hers to keep one. “What it does is it prompts you to think critically about the symptoms you’re having when you’re having them, how they feel, what makes them better, what makes them worse,” she says. While it will give you insight into what you’re dealing with, the diary is especially significant to medical providers. If you’ve ever struggled to recall the details of a medical episode by the time your doctor’s appointment rolls around, having notes to look back on will make all the difference. You’ll be able to categorize the severity of your pain, the time of day it happened and when it subsided without having to rely on memories that may have already started to fade. parenting Jun 11 What's the controversy about giving kids a '90s summer? Health Science Jun 27 Scratching that bug bite might feel good at first but science explains why it's a bad idea How to get started Bring your diary to your doctor’s appointment. “I never expect patients to figure this out on their own,” says Caudle. She’ll evaluate your notes, discover the root of your headaches and help you determine which summer conditions are bringing them on. She might encourage you to maintain a more consistent sleep routine, to stay indoors during peak heat hours and help you prepare for a summer hike you have coming up. She might even discover the reason for your headaches is something else entirely and unrelated to the season. “Sometimes when things can seem like it’s one thing, it can actually be something else,” says Caudle. This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: A dermatologist’s 1 simple tip for treating heat rash this summer As a sleep scientist, I rely on these 4 items to get quality sleep in the summer A neurologist reveals her 7 daily habits that reduce her risk of stroke ...read more read less