A migraine is much more than a bad headache. It can cause debilitating, throbbing, one-sided head pain that can leave you in bed for days. Movement, lights, sounds, and other triggers may cause symptoms like fatigue, nausea, vision changes, irritability, and more. A healthcare provider can help you manage symptoms so migraines don’t take over your life.
Overview
What is a migraine?
A migraine is a severe headache that causes throbbing, pulsing head pain on one side of your head. The headache phase of a migraine usually lasts at least four hours, but it can also last for days. This headache gets worse with:
- Physical activity.
- Bright lights.
- Loud noises.
- Strong odors.
Migraines are disruptive. They can interfere with your daily routine and affect your ability to meet personal and social obligations. Treatment is available to help you manage migraines.
What are the types of migraines?
There are several types of migraines. The most common migraine categories are:
- Migraine with aura (classic migraine).
- Migraine without aura (common migraine).
An aura is a phase of the migraine before head pain begins.
Other types of migraines include:
- Migraines in children (abdominal migraine).
- Chronic migraine.
- Hemiplegic migraine.
- Menstrual migraine.
- Migraine without headache (silent migraine).
- Retinal migraine (ocular migraine).
- Status migrainosus.
How common are migraines?
Migraines are common. Studies show that an estimated 12% of people in the United States experience migraines.
Symptoms and Causes
What are the phases of a migraine?
There are four phases or stages of a migraine:
- Prodrome: The first phase begins up to 24 hours before you experience a headache.
- Aura: An aura is a group of sensory, motor, and speech symptoms that are a warning sign of a migraine headache. The aura phase can last as long as 60 minutes or as little as five. You might experience both the aura and the headache at the same time.
- Headache: A migraine headache lasts between four hours to 72 hours.
- Postdrome: The postdrome stage usually lasts for a few hours up to 48 hours. Symptoms feel similar to an alcohol-induced hangover, which is why the postdrome phase is known as a migraine hangover.
It can take about eight to 72 hours to go through the four stages.
Migraine symptoms
Migraine symptoms vary based on the stage. Every migraine is different, and you won’t necessarily experience symptoms during all four phases of every migraine.
Prodrome symptoms
- Mood changes.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Trouble sleeping.
- Fatigue.
- Nausea.
- Increased hunger and thirst.
- Frequent urination.
Aura symptoms
- Muscle weakness.
- Vision changes.
- Ringing in your ears (tinnitus).
- Sensitivity to touch (feeling like someone is touching you).
- Numbness and tingling.
- Difficulty speaking or concentrating.
Headache attack symptoms
Head pain gradually gets more intense. It can affect one side of your head or both. It can occur with other symptoms like:
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Light, sound, and odor sensitivity.
Postdrome symptoms
- Fatigue.
- Stiff neck.
- Sensitivity to light and sound.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Nausea.
- Dizziness.
What does a migraine feel like?
Migraine headache pain may feel like the following:
- Throbbing.
- Pulsing.
- Pounding.
- Dull.
A migraine can feel different for each person. A migraine headache ranges from mild to severe. Head pain can start on one side and shift to the opposite side. You may also have pain around your eyes or temple, and sometimes, around your face, sinuses, jaw, or neck.
How often do migraines happen?
The frequency of migraine varies from person to person. You might have one migraine per year or one per week. On average, most people experience two to four per month. They’re most common in the morning. Most migraines are unpredictable, but sometimes, you can have an idea of when a migraine will happen, like before menstruation or after feeling stressed.
What causes a migraine?
Researchers aren’t sure of the exact cause of migraines, but studies show genetics play a role.
When you have a headache, specific nerves in your blood vessels send pain signals to your brain. This releases inflammatory substances into your head’s nerves and blood vessels. It’s unclear why your nerves do that.
What triggers a migraine?
A trigger is something that causes symptoms to start. Some of the most common migraine triggers include:
- Stress.
- Hormonal changes.
- Certain medications.
- Changes to your sleep.
- Weather conditions change.
- Too much physical activity (overexertion).
- Addictive substances like caffeine or tobacco.
- Missing a meal.
- Exposure to bright lights, loud noises, or strong odors.
Your healthcare provider can help you identify your triggers. They might recommend keeping a migraine journal to track similarities between migraine attacks.
What foods trigger migraines?
Your body may have a sensitivity to specific chemicals and preservatives in foods. This sensitivity makes a migraine more likely to happen, especially if combined with other triggers.
Some of the most common food triggers include:
- Aged cheese.
- Beverages containing alcohol.
- Chocolate.
- Food additives like nitrates and MSG.
- Processed or cured foods (hot dogs, pepperoni).
- Fermented or pickled foods.
Are migraines hereditary?
Yes, migraines tend to run in biological families. Up to 80% of people with migraines have a first-degree biological relative with the condition.
What are the risk factors for a migraine?
A migraine can affect anyone at any age, from children to adults. Women and people assigned female at birth are more likely than men and people assigned male at birth to experience a migraine.
Other risk factors that may make you more likely to experience a migraine include:
- Biological family history of migraines.
- Underlying medical conditions (depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and epilepsy).
- Regular use of tobacco products.
