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Often patients with headaches are concerned that they might have a tumor or some other problem in their brain that is causing the headaches. Doctors will judge whether or not this is necessary based on a variety of of symptoms and and what we call signs. If the patient has any signs that there is a neurologic malfunction (which the doctor will pick up on examining the patient) then the patient will need an MRI of the brain. If there’s a real new change that there are headaches that are much more severe or the patient never used to have headaches and now suddenly has headaches, then often the doctor will make the decision that they should check and make sure everything is fine with a brain. But many patients have had sporadic headaches throughout their life and if there’s no real change, then there’s not going to be a need to get an MRI.
