What is migraine and what can you do about it?

Migraine is a very special form of headache. But what exactly is a migraine and what can you do about it?

Migraine is a throbbing headache that typically affects only one side and lasts 4 to 72 hours. The headache is accompanied by nausea or vomiting and hypersensitivity to sound or light. A few hours to a day before the attack, hyper- or hypoactivity, depressive feelings or cravings for certain foods often occur. An hour before the attack, visual disturbances (e.g. flickering), one-sided tingling of the lips, face or hand, one-sided muscle weakness or impaired speech may occur.

If the headache is not accompanied by one of the above complaints, it is probably not a migraine. This could be a tension headache that causes band-like pressure in the forehead or neck. You can get a headache from taking too many headache medications. Contact your doctor if the headache does not go away with a simple painkiller.

Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20360201

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2024-08-02 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2025