Could Your Headache Be A Migraine?

Could Your Headache Be A Migraine?

The medical condition called migraine is the third most common disease in the world and also affects people from all parts of the world. Migraine headaches frequently affect people both in their private as well as their professional engagements and at times, migraineurs end up missing out on important events, due to the severe pain.

However, even after suffering with frequent headaches for many years, some people still don’t realize that it could be a migraine that ails them. Hence, one of the important things to know about the treatment of headaches is to identity the type of headaches one experiences.

What Are Migraines?

  • Strictly speaking, migraine occurs as a one-sided headache which tends to last from four hours to 72 hours.
  • However, nearly 40 per cent of all cases are susceptible to bilateral headaches – that is a headache on both sides of the head.
  • Migraine related headaches start gradually and grow worse, as the hours go by. The headaches have been reported to be throbbing in nature.
  • In other words, one might feel the pain in quick repetitive waves and it might feel like a hammer continuously hitting the temples.
  • Migraine headaches are very likely to be accompanied by a feeling of irritation on exposure to light or noise. People suffering from migraine prefer lying down tn a dark, silent room with their eyes shut.
  • The headache can be accompanied by a feeling of nausea with vomiting, sometimes. Also, some state that vomiting helps relieve the pain.

Phases Of A Migraine

Prodrome

The onset of the prodrome stage may occur as early as 12 hours prior to the actual migraine attack. This stage can be identified by certain symptoms like persistent yawning, irritation or restlessness and exhaustion.

Aura

Immediately before the migraine headaches start, the ‘aura’ occurs. Commonly, the aura may continue for a duration of anywhere between five and 60 minutes. Vision distortion, random flashes of light, awkward shapes and lines, numbness or tingling of fingers and hands are common symptoms of aura. Rarely, symptoms like trouble with speech or weakness can also be seen with the aura.

Pain/Headache

The phase that follows the aura is pain.The pain is initially dull and then worsens with time. Migraine headaches can persist for anywhere between four to 72 hours, Nausea, light and noise sensitivity usually accompanies the pain in this phase.

Postdrome

This is the fourth and last phase of a migraine, It can take up to 24 hours for a person to feel completely normal even after the pain is over. Frequently, people complain of fatigue after the migraine attack has passed.

Health Tip

Identifying migraines as the cause for recurring severe headaches is quite important and with appropriate care and treatment, the severity of migraine headaches can be conveniently reduced to manageable levels.

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