Migraine headaches are a are a type of painful and often debilitating headache. The pain goes beyond that of normal headache pain. Migraines usually occur with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and light and sound sensitivity. This guide will explore everything to know about migraine headaches including signs and symptoms, triggers, types of migraine medications and treatments, and other important facts.
What's In This Article?
Migraines are a neurological condition with varying symptoms. Migraines are characterized by intense and throbbing head pain, but not all types of migraines include head pain. Different terms are often used to describe migraine pain. Some of the ways pain from migraines is described include:
Some people experience migraines as more of a dull ache.
For most people, migraine pain affects one side of the head and usually, it’s the forehead. Some people do experience migraines on both sides of the head, or the pain might shift.
Typically migraines last for 4 hours, but some people experience them for much longer. Some migraine attacks may last as long as 72 hours, or even up to an entire week.
The specific symptoms of a migraine can vary depending on the type of migraine a person has. Symptoms can start anywhere from two days before the actual headache, and when this happens, it’s known as the prodrome stage.
If a person has migraine with aura, the aura happens during this stage.
Once a migraine attack is over, people may experience symptoms of the postdrome phase.
More than half of people who suffer from migraines experience nausea as a symptom. For some people, this symptom starts when the headache does, but for others, it can take around an hour to experience nausea.
For a lot of people, the symptoms of nausea and vomiting are as difficult to cope with as the actual headache. Vomiting can make it difficult to take oral migraine medications, then worsening the severity of the migraine.
People often wonder what causes a migraine headache, and there is typically not one particular answer. As with many neurological conditions, the factors leading to migraine are complex and multi-faceted.
Researchers believe there is a genetic component to people getting a migraine headache along with other factors. Possible factors linked to the development of migraine headache disorders include:
As with other medical conditions, a health care professional follows a set of certain criteria and guidelines to diagnose migraines.
The International Headache Center publishes what’s called the “International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd Edition,” or the ICHD-3.
The following are some excerpts from the ICHD-3 as far as migraines and how they’re diagnosed.
When a health care provider makes a diagnosis, it can help you rule out the potential that your headaches related to serious underlying conditions. Seeking a diagnosis can also help you learn more about the right treatment options for you, and you may be prescribed certain medications for migraines.
There’s not one specific test that’s used to diagnose a migraine headache disorder. Instead, a doctor will usually start by taking a patient’s medical history into account, and they will do certain tests to rule out other conditions.
The healthcare provider will likely want to see a detailed history of the migraine headaches and the symptoms that may occur with an attack.
When making a diagnosis, a doctor will want to hear about the specific features of the headache such as how often they occur and how severe the pain is. They will also want to know the effect of the headaches on activities and functionality, and whether or not there is a family history of migraines or headaches.
A neurological assessment will also be completed. Sometimes a CAT or MRI scan might be done to take pictures of the brain. This isn’t to diagnose migraines—instead, these are tests done to rule out the potential for other underlying conditions that could be causing the migraines.
Because of the process used to diagnose migraines, it is extremely helpful to keep a migraine diary for at least a month before visiting a health care provider.
As far as migraine treatments, there are different options available. There are OTC migraine medications that are pain relievers, prescription migraine medications, natural remedies and lifestyle changes that someone can make to reduce the frequency and severity of attacks.
Some of the over-the-counter medications that are used to treat migraines include:
Some of the prescription medications used to treat migraines include:
All of the above prescription migraine medicines are abortive. This means they’re taken as soon as someone feels a migraine attack coming on to stop the symptoms or make it less severe. These are as-needed medications.
Along with abortive medications for migraines, there are preventative migraine treatments available. Typically preventative migraine medicines are prescribed to someone who has four or more migraine days a month.
Preventative migraine medicines are supposed to help reduce the frequency and severity of attacks.
Prescription preventative migraine medications include:
For a lot of people, many migraine medicines both prescription and OTC don’t ultimately work. However, there are different things that can be done.
One of the best things to do is keep a very detailed headache diary. This is important because it can help identify patterns and hopefully triggers. Once you identify these triggers, you can avoid them and make the necessary lifestyle changes.
Visiting a headache specialist can also be helpful. Plus, with migraine medication, it can take time and experimentation to find what’s going to be most effective for you.
Including natural migraine remedies along with doctor-recommended treatments may prove useful also.
Migraine headaches can be debilitating and extremely difficult to live with, but they’re not usually indicative of more severe underlying conditions. Sometimes, in rare cases, they can be, however.
Some of the possible migraine headache complications that can occur or underlying severe conditions that can be associated with migraines include:
People with migraines may be at a greater risk of having co-occurring mental health disorders. The increased risk is small but does exist. The mental health conditions that are more frequently associated with migraines include:
While most people don’t start struggling with migraines until adulthood, it is possible for children to have migraines. Most kids get tension headaches but around five percent of children may get migraines, and some get them as young as four years old.
Doctors aren’t sure what causes migraines in children, but believe it could be linked to various chemical changes in the brain and genetic components. For example, a parent who gets migraines might be more likely to have a child who also has migraines. It’s estimated that 7 out of 10 children with migraines have a close relative who has a history of migraine headache as well.
The following are some interesting facts and statistics about migraine headaches:
Finally, the most common symptoms experienced with a migraine headache beyond throbbing, pulsating pain are light sensitivity, sound sensitivity and nausea. To learn more about the different types of headaches that can occur such as a hemiplegic migraine, or a common migraine, read our post about the different categories of migraines and headaches.
WebMD. “Common Migraine Headache Symptoms.” Accessed February 27, 2019.
WebMD. “What To Do When Headache Treatments Don’t Work.” Accessed February 27, 2019.
Excedrin.com. “How Does a Doctor Diagnose a Migraine?” Accessed February 27, 2019.
ICHD-3.org. “The International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd Edition.” Accessed February 27, 2019.
Healthline Editorial Team. “Migraine Complications.” Healthline. March 4, 2016. Accessed February 27, 2019.
Migraine.com. “Migraine Statistics.” Accessed February 27, 2019.