Migraine Treatment

Migraine is a neurologic disorder that is most often associated with a strong headache. The headache comes in episodes and often comes with nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light.

Migraine Symptoms

Migraines are different in everyone. In many people, they happen in stages. These stages may include:

Prodrome

Hours or days before a headache, about 60% of people who have migraines notice symptoms like:

Being sensitive to light, sound, or smell
Fatigue
Food cravings or lack of appetite
Mood changes
Severe thirst
Bloating
Constipation or diarrhea

Aura

These symptoms stem from your nervous system and often involve your vision. They usually start gradually, over a 5- to 20-minute period, and last less than an hour. You may:

See black dots, wavy lines, flashes of light, or things that aren’t there (hallucinations)
Have tunnel vision
Not be able to see at all
Have tingling or numbness on one side of your body
Not be able to speak clearly
Have a heavy feeling in your arms and legs
Have ringing in your ears
Notice changes in smell, taste, or touch

Attack

A migraine headache often begins as a dull ache and grows into throbbing pain. It usually gets worse during physical activity. The pain can move from one side of your head to the other, can be in the front of your head, or can feel like it's affecting your entire head.

About 80% of people have nausea along with a headache, and about half vomit. You may also be pale and clammy or feel faint.

Most migraine headaches last about 4 hours, but severe ones can go for more than 3 days. It’s common to get two to four headaches per month. Some people may get migraine headaches every few days, while others get them once or twice a year.

Postdrome

This stage can last up to a day after a headache. Symptoms include:

Feeling tired, wiped out, or cranky
Feeling unusually refreshed or happy
Muscle pain or weakness
Food cravings or lack of appetite

Migraine Causes

Migraine headaches are a symptom of a condition known as migraine. Doctors don’t know the exact cause of migraine headaches, although they seem to be related to changes in your brain and to your genes. Your parents can even pass down migraine triggers like fatigue, bright lights, or weather changes.