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Headaches and migraines are often interchanged when discussing headache pain, but there are slight differences between the two. A migraine can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head; while a severe headache is more constant, steady type pain. Migraines are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine attacks can cause significant pain for hours to days and can be so severe that the pain is disabling.
There are two types of migraines, which are defined by how often headaches happen.
Migraines or headaches usually begin early in a person’s life – childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. Migraines and headaches typically progress through four stages: prodrome, aura, headache and post-drome (although some may not experience all stages).
Prodrome – 1 - 2 Days before a migraine, possible changes that could occur:
Aura – Before or during a migraine, possible disturbances include:
Each of these symptoms usually begins gradually, builds up over several minutes and lasts for 20 to 60 minutes.
Migraine Attack – Usually lasts from 4 - 72 hours During this time one may experience:
Post-drome – Occurs for about 24 hours after a migraine headache attack. During this time, the following symptoms could occur:
A patient’s medical history, physical and neurological exams diagnose a headache disorder. Additional optional lab tests – such as MRIs, blood tests, and Spinal Fluid analyses – help physicians rule out other diseases.
Procedures used to diagnose a migraine are generally used to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms. In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, some procedures that may be used include:
The CHI Health Neurological Institute multidisciplinary team offers highly trained experts that enable us to offer comprehensive migraine and headache care which begins with the diagnosis and lasts a lifetime. Our goal is to work with the patient to reduce occurrences, manage symptoms and maintain the highest quality of life.
Managing migraines and headaches is an ongoing process, beginning with the very first symptoms and continuing throughout the years. It’s never too soon or too late to think about how to access high quality, comprehensive, interdisciplinary care.