How to tell the difference
Headaches cause pain in the head, face, or upper neck, and can vary in frequency and intensity. A migraine is an extremely painful primary headache disorder. Migraines usually produce symptoms that are more intense and debilitating than headaches. Some types of migraines do not cause head pain, however.
What is a headache?
There are many different types of headaches, which experts have classified into two main groups — primary and secondary.
Primary headaches refer to independent conditions that cause pain in the head, face, or neck. Examples of primary headaches include migraines and tension headaches.
Secondary headaches occur as the result of another medical condition, such as an infection, stress, or medication overuse.
What is a migraine?
A migraine is a type of primary headache disorder that can cause severe pain and other symptoms. People with migraine may experience recurring symptoms that doctors call episodes or attacks.
Headaches are only one symptom of migraines, and they can range in severity. Migraine can cause intense, throbbing headaches that last anywhere from a few hours to several days.
A migraine headache usually affects one side of the head, but some people experience pain on both sides. A migraine episode can occur in four distinct phases, though not everyone experiences every phase.
Migraine Headache Symptoms And Stages
Migraines typically have four stages, though some migraine sufferers may skip a stage.
Migraine stages include the Prodrome stage, Aura stage, Migraine attack stage, and Postdrome stage.
Prodrome Stage: Pre-Migraine Symptoms
Symptoms of this stage include:
- Food cravings
- Depression
- Fatigue or low energy
- Frequent yawning
- Hyperactivity
- Irritability
- Neck stiffness
Migraine Aura Stage
Migraine auras are warning signs that may occur before you experience a migraine. Examples of migraine aura include:
- Visual phenomena in one eye, such as seeing shapes, bright spots or flashes of light
- Temporary blind spots or vision loss
- Double vision (diplopia)
- Sensory problems of the body, face, or tongue, such as numbness or tingling
- Changes in smell
- Tinnitus, ringing in the ears or diminished power of hearing
- Pins and needles sensations in the limbs
- Physical weakness or difficulty with moving (lasting up to 72 hours)
- Inability to control body movements (ataxia)
- Nausea
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Difficulty with speaking or dysarthria (unclear speech)
- Hearing noises or music
- Vomiting
Migraine Attack Stage
The migraine headache may occur on only one side of the head. The pulsating or throbbing pain is moderate to severe and may worsen with movements such as walking or climbing stairs.
The headache may make the individual sensitive to light or sound. It may also be accompanied by nausea, with or without vomiting or diarrhoea.
Postdrome Stage
During the postdrome stage, you may feel extremely fatigued and apathetic, or euphoric and happy. A mild headache may persist.
These migraine stages may vary in length and intensity for different people.
Common triggers for Migraines are :
- Bright lights
- Severe heat or extremes in weather
- Dehydration
- Changes in barometric pressure
- Hormone changes during menstruation, pregnancy or menopause
- Excess stress
- Loud sounds
- Intense physical activity
- Skipping meals
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Use of medications, such as oral contraceptives
- Foods- for example, aged cheese, chocolate, foods containing MSG and other food additives, red wine
- Smoking
- Alcohol or caffeinated drinks
- Travel
- Family history
Migraine Treatment
While there are no cures for migraines, your doctor can help you manage the symptoms and decrease their frequency.
Your long-term treatment plan may include:
- Lifestyle adjustments, including stress management
- Avoidance of migraine triggers
- Over-the-counter pain medications, such as aspirin or ibuprofen
- Prescription migraine medications
- Hormone therapy if migraines are related to hormone changes
- Alternative care, including biofeedback, meditation, acupuncture or acupressure
Migraine Remedies
Although migraines are often undiagnosed and untreated, For migraine relief, try gently massaging your scalp or temples, placing a cold washcloth over your forehead or behind your neck, and lying still in a dark, quiet room.
