5 Signs your headache might be a migraine

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Fitness & Health

Published on Friday, 25 November 2022 17:32

Last Updated on 01 December 2022

Monica Costa

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Do you know a migraine is not merely a headache? It is much more than a nasty headache. It is an end-less intense throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, typically on one side of the head. This neurological disease may cause debilitating throbbing pain that will leave you in bed for several days! Light, sound, movement, and other triggers may cause symptoms like nausea, tiredness, pain, numbness and tingling, visual disturbances, difficulty speaking, irritability, temporary loss of vision and many more.  Migraine may last for hours to days, and the pain may be so severe that it is likely to interfere with your daily life. Everyone somehow occasionally experiences tension headaches. But migraine headache is different from tension headaches. If you have a migraine, you might need treatment to keep your headaches from becoming severely debilitating.

 

If you want to grip your migraine headache, you may buy Sumatriptan online quickly and conveniently.  Some signs may indicate whether your headaches are regular or migraines.

 

Migraine symptoms

The primary symptom of a migraine is an intense headache on one side of your head. The pain is typically more than mild, a moderate or severe throbbing sensation that worsens when a person moves and prevents you from carrying out everyday activities. The migraine symptoms often last between four hours and three days, although you may feel exhausted for up to a week afterwards.

 

Sometimes, the pain may begin on both sides of the head and affect your face or neck. The other symptoms commonly associated with migraine are:

• Increased sensitivity to light and sound
• Feeling sick
• Sweating
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhoea
• Being sick
• Poor concentration
• Feeling very hot or very cold

 

Not every person with a migraine experiences these symptoms; some people may experience them without a headache. Suppose you do not feel well or have a high temperature; stay home until you feel better enough to fulfil your routine jobs.

Migraines occur rarely or may strike several times a month. After a migraine attack, you might feel confused, drained, and washed out for up to a day. Some people report feeling elated. The sudden head movement might bring on the pain again briefly.

 

Signs you may have a Migraine

 

Prodrome

The pre-headache stage is known as the prodromal stage. Your headache might be a migraine headache if you experience changes in mood, energy levels, behaviour and appetite that occur several hours or days before an attack. A day or two before a migraine, you might notice mild changes that warn of an upcoming migraine, including:

• Frequent yawning
• Constipation
• Mood changes from depression to euphoria
• Food cravings
• Neck stiffness
• Increased urination
• Fluid retention

 

Pre-headache Aura

An aura is a cluster of sensory, motor and speech symptoms that appear like warning signals that a migraine headache is on its way. Often misinterpreted as a stroke or seizure, it typically happens before the headache pain but may sometimes appear during or even after. An aura may last from 10-60 minutes. About 15-20 % of people who experience migraines have auras.

Sometimes, the aura may happen before or during a migraine. Auras are reversible symptoms of your nervous system. They are usually visual but may also accompany other disturbances. Each sign usually begins gradually, builds up over several minutes and may last up to sixty minutes. An aura produces symptoms that may include:

• Visual problems, like seeing flashing lights, zigzag patterns or blind spots

• Temporary vision loss
• Ringing in your ears (tinnitus)

• Pins and needles, tingling sensation, or numbness, which usually starts in your hand and travels up the arm before affecting your face, lips and tongue
• Feeling dizzy/off balance
• Loss of consciousness
• Speech change/difficulty speaking

• Changes in smell or taste

 

Aura symptoms typically develop for about five minutes and last up to an hour. Sometimes people may experience an aura followed by only a mild or no headache.

 

Sensitivity to light, smell, sound, or touch

Headaches characterise a regular or intermittent aching or throbbing pain; migraines may add different symptoms. The pain may be on just one or both sides of your head with a migraine. You will likely experience increased sensitivity to light, smell, sound, or touch. Many people with migraines need to rest in a quiet, dark room.

 

Nausea or vomiting

In addition to an intense pulsating or throbbing one-sided headache and increased sensitivity to stimuli, you may experience feeling sick, nauseous or vomit when a migraine comes on. Also, during a migraine, you may feel weakness or numbness on one side of your body.

 

A family history

Specific medications and a family history of migraines may increase your chances of migraine headaches. If your relatives suffer from migraines, getting checked out for the same condition might be a good idea, especially if you struggle with recurring headaches.

 

Pre-existing risk factors

Some people are at a heightened risk of suffering migraines than others. The headache might be a migraine if you:

• are a woman, as women are three times more prone to migraines than men.
• experience hormone imbalances or irregularities.
• are often dehydrated or do not get enough nutrition.
• consume excessive quantities of alcohol or caffeine.
• have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

 

When to see a doctor

Migraines are usually undiagnosed and untreated. If you have typical migraine symptoms, try to keep a record of your migraine attacks and how you treat them. Book an appointment with the GP to discuss your migraine. Despite having a history of headaches, consult your doctor if the pattern changes or you suddenly feel the headaches are different.

See your doctor immediately if you experience the following:

 

• A severe or abrupt headache like a thunderclap.
• Headache with confusion, seizures, double vision, fever, stiff neck, numbness or weakness in any part of your body, which may be a sign of a stroke.
• A chronic headache that is worse after exertion, coughing, straining or a sudden movement.
• Headache after a head injury
• New headache pain after age 50

 

Treating migraines

If you think your chronic headaches might be migraines, reach out for a doctor’s opinion. You can effectively treat your condition once you have the proper diagnosis. We may recommend several options to help you manage or prevent your migraine headaches, including:

• Adjusting your sleep schedule
• Changing your diet
• Designing a healthy exercise plan
• Botox injections
• Acupuncture
• Over-the-counter medications
• Prescription medications

 

Conclusion

A migraine is a prevalent neurological disease that causes various symptoms, most notably a throbbing, pulsing headache on one side of your head. Your migraine will likely worsen with physical activity, lights, sounds or smells. It may last at least four hours or even days.

 

How often you have migraine varies from person to person. If you think your chronic headaches are migraines, reach out for a doctor’s opinion. You may find that you can effectively treat your condition once you have the proper diagnosis.