Signs of Migraine Headaches

According to Mayo Clinic, at least 28 million adults in the United States suffer from debilitating and incurable migraine headaches, with women three times more likely to be affected than men.

Length

• A more uncomfortable trait of migraine headaches is the relatively long duration. If a minimum of five headaches last between four and 72 hours, whether treated or not, they could indicate migraines.

Features

• Migraine headaches are often moderately to severely intense, located in one area of the head, produce a throbbing sensation, and worsen during continuous physical activity. If at least two of the preceding traits accompany no less than five headaches, they could be migraines.

Concurrent Symptoms

• Five or more headaches that occur in the absence of a potentially related disease and that are also marked by nausea, abnormal sensitivity to external stimuli like light or sound, and vomiting could be migraines.

History

• The diagnostic criteria for migraine headaches were established by the International Headache Society to facilitate differentiating migraines from cluster headaches and tension headaches.

Treatment

• Although there is no cure for migraine headaches, managing them is possible with treatments that range from eliminating dietary triggers, such as caffeine and alcohol, to using appropriate drugs.