A migraine headache is typically a pulsating or throbbing pain that ranges from moderate to severe. It can affect one or both sides of the head. It is often worsened by physical activity, light, sounds, or odors and accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sounds, light, and/or odors.
Migraines may be triggered by lack of sleep, changes in the weather, hunger, excessive stimulation of the senses, stress, or other factors.
They can be made worse by physical activity, light, sounds, or odors.
Doctors base the diagnosis on typical symptoms.
There is no cure for migraines, but medications are used to stop the migraine as it is starting, to relieve pain, and to reduce the number and severity of migraines attacks.
(See also Overview of Headache.)
Migraines are the most common cause of recurring moderate to severe headaches.
Although migraines can start at any age, they usually begin during puberty or young adulthood. In most people, migraines recur periodically (fewer than 15 days a month). After age 50, headaches often become significantly less severe or resolve entirely. Migraines are 3 times more common among women. In the United States, about 18% of women and 6% of men have a migraine at some time each year.
Migraines may become chronic. That is, they occur 15 or more days a month. Chronic migraines often develop in people who overuse medications to treat migraines.
Migraines tend to run in families. More than half the people who have migraines have close relatives who also have them.
Causes of Migraine
Migraines occur in people whose nervous system is more sensitive than that of other people. In these people, nerve cells in the brain are easily stimulated, producing electrical activity. As electrical activity spreads over the brain, various functions, such as vision, sensation, balance, muscle coordination, and speech, are temporarily disturbed. These disturbances cause the symptoms that occur before the headache (called the aura). The headache occurs when the 5th cranial (trigeminal) nerve is stimulated. This nerve sends impulses (including pain impulses) from the eyes, scalp, forehead, upper eyelids, mouth, and jaw to the brain. When stimulated, the nerve may release substances that cause painful inflammation in the blood vessels of the brain (cerebral blood vessels) and the layers of tissues that cover the brain (meninges). The inflammation accounts for the throbbing headache, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
Estrogen, the main female hormone, appears to trigger migraines, possibly explaining why migraines are more common among women. Migraines can probably be triggered when estrogen levels increase or fluctuate. During puberty (when estrogen levels increase), migraines become much more common among girls than among boys. Some women have migraines just before, during, or just after menstrual periods. Migraines often occur less often and become less severe in the last trimester of pregnancy when estrogen levels are relatively stable, and they worsen after childbirth when estrogen levels decrease rapidly. As menopause approaches (when estrogen levels are fluctuating), migraines become particularly difficult to control.
Oral contraceptives (which contain estrogen) and estrogen therapy may make migraines worse and may increase the risk of stroke in women who have migraines with an aura.
Other triggers include the following:
Lack of sleep, including insomnia
Changes in the weather, particularly barometric pressure
Red wine
Certain foods
Hunger (as when meals are skipped)
Excessive stimulation of the senses (for example, by flashing lights or strong odors)
Stress
Various foods have been associated with migraines, but whether they trigger migraines is unclear. These foods include
Foods that contain tyramine, such as aged cheeses, soy products, fava beans, hard sausages, smoked or dried fish, and some nuts
Foods that contain nitrates, such as hot dogs and lunch meats
Foods that contain MSG (monosodium glutamate), a flavor enhancer found in fast foods, broths, seasonings, and spices
Which foods trigger migraines varies from person to person.
Head injuries, neck pain, or a problem with the joint of the jaw (temporomandibular joint disorder) sometimes triggers or worsens migraines.
Familial hemiplegic migraine, a rare subtype of migraine, causes weakness on one side of the body. It is associated with genetic defects on chromosome 1, 2, or 19. The role of genes in the more common forms of migraine is under study.
In some families, family members have different migraine symptoms. Some have mainly headache. Some have mainly vertigo (a type of dizziness) or weakness on one side of the body. Some have only a migraine aura with no headache. These findings suggest that migraine may be more than just a headache disorder.
Migraine with brain stem aura is another rare subtype of migraine. It can cause vertigo, difficulty controlling and coordinating body movements (ataxia), changes in vision, tinnitus, slurred speech, and fluctuations in the level of alertness.
Symptoms of Migraine
In a migraine, pulsating or throbbing pain is usually felt on one side of the head, but it may occur on both sides. The pain may be moderate but is often severe and incapacitating. Physical activity, bright light, loud noises, and certain odors may make the headache worse. This increased sensitivity makes many people retreat to a dark, quiet room, lie down, and sleep if possible. Typically, migraines subside during sleep.
The headache is frequently accompanied by nausea, sometimes with vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sounds, and/or odors. People have difficulty concentrating during an attack.
Attacks vary greatly in frequency and severity. Many people have several types of headache, including mild attacks without nausea or sensitivity to light. These attacks may resemble a tension-type headache but are a mild form of migraine.
Migraine attacks may last for hours to a few days (typically 4 hours to several days). Severe attacks can be incapacitating and disrupt family and work life.
A prodrome often occurs before a migraine. The prodrome is sensations that warn people that an attack is about to begin. These sensations may include mood changes, neck pain, food cravings, loss of appetite, and nausea.
An aura precedes migraines in about 25% of people. The aura involves temporary, reversible disturbances in vision, sensation, balance, muscle coordination, or speech. People may see jagged, shimmering, or flashing lights or develop a blind spot with flickering edges. Less commonly, people experience tingling sensations, loss of balance, weakness in an arm or a leg, or difficulty talking. The aura lasts minutes to an hour before and may continue after the headache begins. Some people experience an aura but have only a mild or no headache.
Migraines usually become less severe as people age. However, auras that affect vision without a headache (sometimes called ocular migraine) occur more frequently in older people.
Did You Know...
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Diagnosis of Migraine
A doctor's evaluation
Sometimes computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging
Doctors diagnose migraines when symptoms are typical and results of a physical examination (which includes a neurologic examination) are normal.
No test or procedure can confirm the diagnosis.
Certain findings are warning signs that suggest that the headaches may be caused by a serious disorder. These findings include the following:
A sudden headache that becomes most severe within a few seconds or less (thunderclap headache)
Headaches that begin after age 50
Headaches that increase in intensity or frequency for weeks or longer
Headaches that occur in people who have had cancer or have a weakened immune system (due to a disorder or medication)
A severe headache accompanied by a fever, a stiff neck, and/or confusion
Persistent problems that suggest a brain disorder, such abnormalities in sensation or vision, weakness, loss of coordination, and drowsiness or confusion
A clear change in the established headache pattern
If headaches have developed recently or if certain warning signs are present, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head is often done, and a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) is sometimes done to exclude other disorders.
If people who are known to have migraines develop a headache that is similar to their previous migraines, doctors rarely do tests. However, if the headache is different, particularly if warning signs are present, a doctor's examination and often tests are needed.
Treatment of Migraine
Behavioral interventions, yoga, or relaxation techniques
Medications to stop a migraine as it starts or keep it from progressing
Medications to control pain and nausea
Medications to prevent migraines
Migraines cannot be cured, but they can be controlled.
Doctors encourage people to keep a headache diary. In it, people write down the number and timing of attacks, possible triggers, and their response to treatment. With this information, triggers may be identified and eliminated when possible. Then, people can participate in their treatment by avoiding triggers, and doctors can better plan and adjust treatment.
Doctors also recommend using behavioral interventions (such as relaxation, biofeedback, and stress management) to control migraine attacks, especially when stress is a trigger or when people are taking too many medications to control the migraines. Relaxation techniques can help control stress, ease muscle tension, and alter brain wave activity.
Yoga can reduce the intensity and frequency of migraines. Yoga combines physical poses that strengthen and stretch muscles with deep breathing, meditation, and relaxation.
Medications
Some medications stop (abort) a migraine as it is starting or keep it from progressing. Some are taken to control the pain. Others are taken to prevent migraines.
For mild to moderate migraines, pain relievers (analgesicsmedication overuse headaches, occur when these medications are taken more than 15 days a month for more than 3 months.
When migraines are or become severe, medications that can abort the migraine are used. They are taken as soon as people sense a migraine is starting. They include the following:
Triptans (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT], or serotonin, agonists) are usually used. Triptans prevent nerves from releasing substances that can trigger migraines. Triptans are most effective when taken as soon as the migraine begins. They may be taken by mouth or by nasal spray or be injected under the skin (subcutaneously).
Ditans
Gepants
Certain antiemetic medications
When other treatments are ineffective in people with severe migraines, opioid analgesics may be used as a last resort.
When migraines are severe, fluids given intravenously can help relieve headache and make people feel better, especially if people are dehydrated from vomiting.
Other medications are used to prevent migraine and can decrease the frequency and severity of symptoms. They include the following:
Antiseizure medications
Beta-blockers
Calcium channel blockers
Tricyclic antidepressants
Missing or reducing a dose of a medication used to prevent migraines or taking it late may trigger or worsen a migraine.
Some Medications Used to Treat Migraines
Type | Examples | Some Side Effects |
|---|---|---|
Prevention | ||
Divalproex Valproate | Hair loss, stomach upset, liver dysfunction, a tendency to bleed, tremors, and weight gain Not used in pregnant women with migraines | |
Weight loss, confusion, and depression | ||
Spasm of the airways (bronchospasm), an abnormally slow heart rate (bradycardia), fatigue, insomnia, worsening of heart failure, and sexual dysfunction Changes in blood sugar levels (possibly making it difficult for doctors to know when blood sugar levels become too low in people with diabetes) With some beta-blockers, unfavorable effects on lipid (fat) levels | ||
A botulinum toxin (used to block nerve activity) | Neck pain and stiffness Weakness of muscles in the face and sometimes the neck | |
Dizziness, low blood pressure, and weakness Constipation | ||
Ditans* | Dizziness and drowsiness | |
Monoclonal antibodies | Pain and irritation at the injection site and constipation Very rarely, allergic reactions | |
Tricyclic antidepressants | Drowsiness, weight gain, increased heart rate, dry mouth, confusion, and constipation | |
Treatment of severe migraines | ||
Antiemetic medications (used to relieve nausea) | Low blood pressure, drowsiness, involuntary movements, and muscle spasms | |
Ergot derivatives | Medication overuse headache (rebound headache) if the medication is taken too frequently Nausea, vomiting, and minor muscle cramping Rarely, chest pain due to an inadequate blood supply to the heart muscle (angina) | |
Gepants* | Minimal | |
Triptans (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT], or serotonin, agonists) | Medication overuse headache if the medication is taken too frequently Flushing, tingling, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, and a sense of pressure or pain in the throat or chest | |
Medication overuse headache if the medication is taken too frequently Slowing of breathing, constipation, retention of urine, drowsiness, and nausea | ||
Treatment of mild to moderate migraines | ||
Analgesics | Medication overuse headache if the medication is taken too frequently Occasionally rash | |
Antiemetic medications | Low blood pressure, drowsiness, involuntary movements, and muscle spasms | |
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) | Medication overuse headache if the medication is taken too frequently Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach) and peptic ulcers | |
* Ditans can also be used to treat mild to moderate and severe migraines. | ||
† Opioids should be used as a last resort when migraines cause severe pain and other measures are ineffective. | ||
Devices that stimulate certain nerves, held to certain parts of the body, can help treat migraine attacks, as well as prevent them. One such device, held to the forehead, can reduce the frequency of migraines. Another device, held to the back of the skull, can relieve migraines as they start. A device that uses an armband to stimulate nerves in the skin can relieve migraine pain. These devices have no significant side effects.
Prevention of Migraine
When treatment does not prevent people from having frequent or incapacitating migraines, taking medications every day to prevent migraine attacks can help (see table Some Medications Used to Treat Migraines). Taking preventive medications may help people take pain relievers or other migraine medications less often and thus help avoid medication overuse headache.
The choice of a preventive medication is based on the side effects of the medication and on other disorders present, as in the following examples:
The antiseizure medication divalproex can help stabilize mood and may be useful if migraines make functioning difficult.
Monoclonal antibodies, given by injection, block the action of a substance that can trigger migraines.
Other medications that can be used to prevent migraines include calcium channel blockers.
Devices that stimulate certain nerves, held to certain parts of the body, can also help prevent migraine attacks. One such device, held to the forehead, can reduce the frequency of migraines. Another device, held to the back of the skull, can relieve migraines as they start and help prevent them. These devices have no significant side effects.
