A migraine is a strong headache that often comes with nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light. It can last hours or days.
Migraines are different in everyone. In many people, they happen in stages. These stages may include:
Prodrome
Hours or days before a headache, about 60% of people who have migraines notice symptoms like:
Being sensitive to light, sound, or smell
Fatigue
Food cravings or lack of appetite
Mood changes
Severe thirst
Bloating
Constipation or diarrhea
Aura
These symptoms stem from your nervous system and often involve your vision. They usually start gradually, over a 5- to 20-minute period, and last less than an hour. You may:
See black dots, wavy lines, flashes of light, or things that aren’t there (hallucinations)
Have tunnel vision
Not be able to see at all
Have tingling or numbness on one side of your body
Not be able to speak clearly
Have a heavy feeling in your arms and legs
Have ringing in your ears
Notice changes in smell, taste, or touch
A migraine headache often begins as a dull ache and grows into throbbing pain. It usually gets worse during physical activity. The pain can move from one side of your head to the other, can be in the front of your head, or can feel like it's affecting your entire head.
About 80% of people have nausea along with a headache, and about half vomit. You may also be pale and clammy or feel faint.
Most migraine headaches last about 4 hours, but severe ones can go for more than 3 days. It’s common to get two to four headaches per month. Some people may get migraine headaches every few days, while others get them once or twice a year.
This stage can last up to a day after a headache. Symptoms include:
Feeling tired, wiped out, or cranky
Feeling unusually refreshed or happy
Muscle pain or weakness
Food cravings or lack of appetite
Migraine Causes
Migraine headaches are a symptom of a condition known as migraine. Doctors don’t know the exact cause of migraine headaches, although they seem to be related to changes in your brain and to your genes. Your parents can even pass down migraine triggers like fatigue, bright lights, or weather changes.
For many years, scientists thought migraines happened because of changes in blood flow in the brain. Most now think this can contribute to the pain, but is not what starts it.
Current thinking is that a migraine likely starts when overactive nerve cells send out signals that trigger your trigeminal nerve, which gives sensation to your head and face. This cues your body to release chemicals like serotonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). CGRP makes blood vessels in the lining of your brain swell. Then, neurotransmitters cause inflammation and pain.
Migraine Risk Factors
The American Migraine Foundation estimates that more than 38 million Americans get migraines. Some things may make you more likely to get them:
Sex. Women have migraines three times more often than men.
Age. Most people start having migraine headaches between ages 10 and 40. But many women find that their migraines get better or go away after age 50.
Family history. Four out of five people with migraines have other family members who get them. If one parent has a history of these types of headaches, their child has a 50% chance of getting them. If both parents have them, the risk jumps to 75%.
Other medical conditions. Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, sleep disorders, and epilepsy can raise your odds.
Migraine Triggers
Hormone changes. Many women notice that they have headaches around their period, while they’re pregnant, or when they’re ovulating. Symptoms may also be tied to menopause, birth control that uses hormones, or hormone replacement therapy.
Stress. When you’re stressed, your brain releases chemicals that can cause blood vessel changes that might lead to a migraine.
Foods. Some foods and drinks, such as aged cheese, alcohol, and food additives like nitrates (in pepperoni, hot dogs, and lunchmeats) and monosodium glutamate (MSG), may be responsible in some people.
Skipping meals
Caffeine. Getting too much or not getting as much as you’re used to can cause headaches. Caffeine itself can be a treatment for acute migraine attacks.
Changes in weather. Storm fronts, changes in barometric pressure, strong winds, or changes in altitude can all trigger a migraine.
Senses. Loud noises, bright lights, and strong smells can set off a migraine.
Medications. Vasodilators, which widen your blood vessels, can trigger them.
Physical activity. This includes exercise and sex.
Tobacco
Changes to your sleep. You might get headaches when you sleep too much or not enough.
