Using the severity slider (0 to 10)

Severity is a number from 0 to 10 that says how bad your pain was. There is no perfect way to pick a number. Your honest best guess is exactly what the app needs. Over many entries, your numbers tell a story about good days, bad days, and which treatments help.

The slider lives inside the full migraine log, on the Pain step. It runs from 0 (no pain) to 10. Use 0 if you had other migraine symptoms, like aura or nausea, but no head pain.

Same on iPhone and Android

1. Open the app.
2. Tap the Log tab at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap the big purple Log Migraine card at the top.
4. The wizard opens on the Timing step. There are 14 steps in all.

Getting to the slider

1. Tap Next at the bottom of each screen.
2. The fourth step is titled Pain.
3. The first card on this step is "Pain at attack start". The severity slider is at the top of the card, and the head diagram is below it.

Reading the slider

1. You will see the word Severity on the left of the card.
2. On the right is a big number, for example "5", with "/ 10" next to it. This is your current pick.
3. Below that is a horizontal bar. This is the slider.
4. Under the bar are two small words: No pain on the left and Severe on the right.

When you first arrive, the number is set to 5.

Picking your number

1. Put your finger on the round dot of the slider.
2. Slide it slowly left or right. The big number changes as you slide.
3. Lift your finger when the big number matches how bad the pain felt.
4. If you tap on the slider instead of dragging, the dot jumps to that spot. That also works.

If the pain changed during the attack

The Pain step can hold more than one entry. Tap + Add pain entry to add a second card with its own time and its own slider. Use this when the pain peaked later, so the app knows both how it started and how bad it got.

What each number roughly means in real terms

1. 1 A faint pressure or dull ache. You can read, watch TV, hold a conversation, and carry on with the day. Easy to forget you have it.
2. 2 A noticeable nag. Still no need to slow down. You might rub your temple now and then.
3. 3 A clear ache that is harder to ignore but does not stop you doing anything. You wonder if you should take a tablet.
4. 4 Uncomfortable. You find yourself going somewhere quieter or drinking more water. You can still cook, drive short distances, or work, but you would rather not.
5. 5 A middle-ground migraine. You feel "off". You may dim lights, lower the TV volume, or take a tablet now.
6. 6 Hard to concentrate. You would sit down if you could. You would not want to drive. Most people would call this a real migraine.
7. 7 You stop what you are doing. You head for a quiet room. You may close the curtains. You will not want to talk much.
8. 8 Bad enough to lie down. Lights and sound hurt. You may feel sick. Tablets and rest are needed.
9. 9 Severe. You cannot do anything but lie still. You may vomit. The smallest sound is too much.
10. 10 The worst pain you have ever felt. Rare for most people.

These descriptions are only a guide. Your own 7 might look different from your neighbour's 7. What matters is being consistent with yourself.

After picking the number

1. The big number stays on screen so you can check it.
2. Below the slider, tap the dots on the head diagram to mark where it hurt (see the separate article on the head diagram).
3. Tap Next to continue the wizard.

If you change your mind

1. Slide again. The number updates straight away.
2. You can also come back to this step before saving by tapping Back.
3. After saving, you can change the severity from the Journal tab: tap the ⋯ menu on the migraine's card, tap Edit, adjust the severity on the first page, then go through to Review and tap Save.

If the slider will not move

1. Try tapping on a spot along the slider bar rather than dragging. The dot jumps to where you tap.
2. Make sure your finger is dry. A wet finger can confuse the screen.
3. Use the pad of your finger, not the tip of a nail.
4. If still nothing happens, close the app fully and open it again.

A note on honesty

Logging a "real" 4 is more useful to the app than logging a "polite" 7. The app is not impressed by big numbers. It is helped most by truthful ones.