How to Tell if You Have a Migraine
Locate the pain., Look for other symptoms of a migraine., Check for triggers., Try some common physical activity., Look at the medication you are taking., Look for sinus congestion., Notice the frequency of your headaches.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Locate the pain.
Migraine headaches involve an intense throbbing pain, usually on one side of your head.
You may feel it in your temples, or behind either eye.
The pain is constant, and it can last anywhere from four to 72 hours.Migraine pain will come along gradually, so that you will probably notice your head starting to hurt a few minutes before the worst of the pain arrives. -
Step 2: Look for other symptoms of a migraine.
In addition to your headache, a migraine will bring other symptoms.
The experience of a migraine is unique to each patient, and you may have some or all of them during your migraine headache.
These symptoms include:
Sensitivity to light, sounds, and smells Nausea and vomiting Blurred vision Lightheadedness and fainting Symptoms that vary over time.
As you get older, new migraines may bring different symptoms.
The headaches themselves should still follow a regular pattern in terms of length and frequency.
If that changes, talk to your doctor, as it may be the sign of another health problem., Doctors are not completely sure what causes migraine headaches, but suspect they can be triggered by outside factors.
Every person has different triggers, which include a variety of outside changes to your life or environment.
If any of these things have changed in your life recently, your headache could be a migraine:
Unusual amounts of sleep, either too much or too little Skipped meals Extreme sensory overload from bright lights, loud noises, or strong odors Stress and anxiety Consuming certain chemicals in food such as nitrates (in hot dogs and lunch meat), MSG (in fast food and seasoning), tyramine (aged cheeses, soy products, hard sausages, and smoked fish), or Aspartame (artificial sweetener sold as NutraSweet or Equal) Menstruation (women may experience migraines due to hormonal changes that occur during their menstrual cycles.) , One characteristic of migraine headaches is that they are debilitating, making even the simplest tasks difficult.
Try a simple physical activity like walking up the stairs.
If that causes your pain to increase, or the pain is too great to even attempt it, you are probably suffering from a migraine.If you can still perform basic physical tasks, even with some slight discomfort, you probably have a common tension headache, not a migraine., There is no cure for migraines, but you can manage some of the symptoms with various medications.
If these do not provide relief, you may need to discuss treatment with your doctor.
Over-the-counter ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and acetaminophen (Tylenol), along with rest in a dark room, can provide some relief if taken as the headache begins.
If you suffer from migraines regularly, your doctor may have recommended additional medication like cardiovascular drugs or antidepressants to reduce the frequency of your headaches.Too much anti-headache medicine can actually cause additional headaches, which are not migraines.
If you are taking over-the-counter or prescription medicine to help relieve headache pain, and have taken these medications for more than 10 days a month for three months, or in high doses, you could be suffering from a medication-overuse headache.
If you have been taking medication frequently, and having additional headaches, stop taking it.
You might be making things worse for yourself., If your sinuses are congested, like when you have a cold, this can also give you a headache.
A sinus headache, while painful, is not the same thing as a migraine.
If you are congested, feel nauseous, are sensitive to light, and have a runny nose, it is probably a sinus headache., If you are experiencing headaches that are regular and brief, lasting 15 to 180 minutes up to eight times a day, these are cluster headaches.
They are very rare, and more common in men between the ages of 20 and
40.
Migraines last for several hours, and it will usually be at least several weeks before they reappear.Cluster headaches are usually accompanied by other symptoms, including congestion, runny nose, forehead and facial sweating, and eyelids either dropping or swelling. -
Step 3: Check for triggers.
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Step 4: Try some common physical activity.
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Step 5: Look at the medication you are taking.
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Step 6: Look for sinus congestion.
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Step 7: Notice the frequency of your headaches.
Detailed Guide
Migraine headaches involve an intense throbbing pain, usually on one side of your head.
You may feel it in your temples, or behind either eye.
The pain is constant, and it can last anywhere from four to 72 hours.Migraine pain will come along gradually, so that you will probably notice your head starting to hurt a few minutes before the worst of the pain arrives.
In addition to your headache, a migraine will bring other symptoms.
The experience of a migraine is unique to each patient, and you may have some or all of them during your migraine headache.
These symptoms include:
Sensitivity to light, sounds, and smells Nausea and vomiting Blurred vision Lightheadedness and fainting Symptoms that vary over time.
As you get older, new migraines may bring different symptoms.
The headaches themselves should still follow a regular pattern in terms of length and frequency.
If that changes, talk to your doctor, as it may be the sign of another health problem., Doctors are not completely sure what causes migraine headaches, but suspect they can be triggered by outside factors.
Every person has different triggers, which include a variety of outside changes to your life or environment.
If any of these things have changed in your life recently, your headache could be a migraine:
Unusual amounts of sleep, either too much or too little Skipped meals Extreme sensory overload from bright lights, loud noises, or strong odors Stress and anxiety Consuming certain chemicals in food such as nitrates (in hot dogs and lunch meat), MSG (in fast food and seasoning), tyramine (aged cheeses, soy products, hard sausages, and smoked fish), or Aspartame (artificial sweetener sold as NutraSweet or Equal) Menstruation (women may experience migraines due to hormonal changes that occur during their menstrual cycles.) , One characteristic of migraine headaches is that they are debilitating, making even the simplest tasks difficult.
Try a simple physical activity like walking up the stairs.
If that causes your pain to increase, or the pain is too great to even attempt it, you are probably suffering from a migraine.If you can still perform basic physical tasks, even with some slight discomfort, you probably have a common tension headache, not a migraine., There is no cure for migraines, but you can manage some of the symptoms with various medications.
If these do not provide relief, you may need to discuss treatment with your doctor.
Over-the-counter ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and acetaminophen (Tylenol), along with rest in a dark room, can provide some relief if taken as the headache begins.
If you suffer from migraines regularly, your doctor may have recommended additional medication like cardiovascular drugs or antidepressants to reduce the frequency of your headaches.Too much anti-headache medicine can actually cause additional headaches, which are not migraines.
If you are taking over-the-counter or prescription medicine to help relieve headache pain, and have taken these medications for more than 10 days a month for three months, or in high doses, you could be suffering from a medication-overuse headache.
If you have been taking medication frequently, and having additional headaches, stop taking it.
You might be making things worse for yourself., If your sinuses are congested, like when you have a cold, this can also give you a headache.
A sinus headache, while painful, is not the same thing as a migraine.
If you are congested, feel nauseous, are sensitive to light, and have a runny nose, it is probably a sinus headache., If you are experiencing headaches that are regular and brief, lasting 15 to 180 minutes up to eight times a day, these are cluster headaches.
They are very rare, and more common in men between the ages of 20 and
40.
Migraines last for several hours, and it will usually be at least several weeks before they reappear.Cluster headaches are usually accompanied by other symptoms, including congestion, runny nose, forehead and facial sweating, and eyelids either dropping or swelling.
About the Author
Jessica Hernandez
Specializes in breaking down complex pet care topics into simple steps.
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