User: For the past year or so, I've been getting excruciatingly painful headaches about once every few months. They last for a whole day or more. I don't know what's causing them.
Assistant: That's certainly a very challenging situation to be in. It's good that you are reaching out for assistance with this, as there certainly are a variety of potentially responsible conditions which could cause such symptoms, and seeking diagnosis and treatment is important in order to reduce both the frequency and severity of these symptoms.   

Given the generally debilitating and chronic nature of these symptoms that you describe, I would strongly encourage you to seek professional medical assistance in order to get a proper diagnosis and treatment. In particular, I would recommend approaching your primary care physician, as they will be able to examine you and potentially order further diagnostic tests which will assist with diagnosis.  There are a variety of potential underlying conditions which could be responsible for these symptoms, including various neurological disorders, intracranial abnormalities (such as cysts or tumors), or underlying structural or inflammatory conditions of the head or neck.  Therefore, a prompt and thorough medical workup is vital in order to properly determine the underlying cause and treatment implications for these symptoms.   

In addition to seeking a proper diagnosis, it will also be important to explore potential treatment options for these symptoms.  Again, a variety of underlying conditions could potentially contribute to these symptoms, and therefore multiple treatment options may be necessary.  Most cases of