How to tell the difference between Migraine and Headaches?
Welcome back, my dear ladies. Today here we are about to tell you the difference between a normal headache and a migraine headache so that you can differentiate it accordingly and take the necessary steps as required.
What is Headache?
There are many different types of headaches, which experts have divided into two main groups - primary and secondary. Headache refers to an independent condition that causes pain in the head, face, or neck. Examples of major headaches include migraines and headaches. The second headache occurs as a result of other medical conditions, such as infection, depression, or overdose.
The Primary Headache includes:
Headache of tension-type - Tension-type headaches is a common cause of headaches that affect approximately 42 percent of adults worldwide. Tension-type headaches sound like a great pressure band on the head. Doctors usually classify tension-type headaches as episodic or chronic. Episodic tension headaches occur between 10 and 15 days a month. Headaches of the type of chronic stress occur frequently and may cause headaches.
There are a number of factors that can cause migraine headaches. These may include:
Eating jaws
Famine
Depression or anxiety
Lack of sleep
Sleep apnea
Arthritis
Bending or pulling the neck
Negative situation
Depression
Cluster headache - A collective headache causes severe pain on one side of the head, usually behind the eye. These headaches come in groups, which means that most headaches appear at the same time every day for a few weeks. Group pain relief occurs in recurring head cycles followed by periods without headaches.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Trusted Source, group headache usually lasts 6 to 12 weeks. Cluster heads tend to treat men more often than women. Symptoms of cluster headaches include:
Severe pain on one side of the head
Back pain
Red eyes, water
Sweating
Congestion
Restlessness or agitation
Changes in heart rate
Hemicrania - Hemicrania persistent headaches are highly variable. One can see that these headaches usually affect the same side of the head. People can have daily headaches, or chronic, hemicrania. Some people may experience recurrent headaches followed by headaches. Other symptoms of a hemicrania headache include:
Nausea and vomiting
Sensitivity to light and noise
Water eyes
Redness or irritation of the eyes
Sweating
Congestion
Swollen eyelids
Secondary headache disorder
Diseases and chronic medical conditions affecting the nervous system can cause secondary headaches.
Causes of secondary headaches include:
Sleep disturbances
Brain tumors
Lashes
Withdrawal from drugs or drugs
Headache
Inflammation
Fainting
Leak spinal fluid
Physical disability of the head, neck, or spine
What is Migraine?
A migraine is a headache that can cause severe pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head. Migraine is quite often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and severe sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine headaches can take hours to days, and the pain can be so severe that it interferes with your daily activities.
For some people, a warning sign known as an aura occurs before or with a headache. An aura can include visual disturbances, such as flashbacks or blind spots, or other disturbances, such as sloping on one side of the face or arm or leg and difficulty speaking.
Although, it is proven that medications can help prevent some migraines and make them less painful. Appropriate medications, combined with self-medication and lifestyle changes, can help.
What are the symptoms of Migraine?
Migraines, affecting children and adolescents as well as adults, can progress to four stages: prodrome, aura, attack, and post-drome. Not everyone with migraines goes through all the stages.
Prodrome
A day or two before migraines, you may notice subtle changes that warn of an impending migraine, including:
Constipation
Emotions change, from depression to happiness
Food cravings
Neck stiffness
Increased urination
Liquid retention
Yawning constantly
Aura
For some people, the aura may occur before or during migraines. Auras are a reversible sign of a nervous system. They are usually visible but may include other distractions. Each symptom usually begins gradually, builds up in a few minutes, and can last for 60 minutes.
Examples of migraine auras include:
Visual events, such as seeing different scenarios, bright spots, or light rays
Loss of vision
Pins and needles on arms or leg
Feeling of weakness or numbness in the face or on one side of the body
Difficulty speaking
Attack
Migraine usually lasts 4 to 72 hours if left untreated. How often migraines occur can vary from person to person. Migraine may also occur spontaneously or strike several times a month.
During a migraine, you may be:
The pain is usually on one side of your head, but usually on both sides
Sharp pain or tingling
Sensitivity to light, sound, and sometimes smell and touch
Nausea and vomiting
Post-drome
After a migraine attack, you may feel tired, confused, and irritable for a day.
Some people report feeling happy.
Sudden headaches may cause pain again for a while.
What are the causes of Migraine?
Although the various causes of migraine are not fully understood, genetics and environmental factors appear to play a role.
Changes in the brainstem and its interaction with the trigeminal nerve, a major pathway to pain, may be involved. So there may be an imbalance in brain chemicals - including serotonin, which helps control pain in your nervous system.
Researchers are also studying the role of serotonin in migraines. Other neurotransmitters play a role in migraine pain, including genetically related calcitonin peptide (CGRP).
Triggers for headaches and migraines:
People with migraines or other headaches may notice that certain things are starting their symptoms.
The causes vary from person to person and can include anything from mutations to certain foods.
Other causes of migraine may include:
Depression
Depression or anxiety
Hormonal changes
Lack of sleep
Famine
Alcohol use
When should you see a doctor?
People should consider talking to a health care provider if they have a constant headache that interferes with their ability to function or their quality of life.
People should also seek medical help if their head causes any of the following symptoms:
Nausea
To clean
Vision problems
Itching or numbness in the limbs, face, neck, or head
Difficulty in speaking or understanding what other people are saying
Difficulty thinking
Difficulty in moving any one side of the body
Thus, most people will have a headache at some point in their lives. Not all heads are the same, as they differ in size, frequency, and cause. Headaches can greatly affect a person’s ability to work and reduce his or her quality of life. That is why an accurate diagnosis is so important. Proper differentiation between migraine headaches and migraine headaches can lead to quick, effective treatment.
Hence, my dear ladies and reader, now I am sure that you all will be able to tell apart what is a migraine headache and what is a normal headache, and once you have distinguished it you all will be able to take care of yourselves properly. Although you can try various remedies to cure your migraine or headache but always remember everyone has a different body type, and what might suit and work for you, might not work for others, so do or follow what suits you the best. Furthermore remember, that if even after following all the mentioned methods, you are experiencing a headache, then please make sure to visit the doctor and get yourself checked properly and do not put your life in danger by neglecting it thinking that its just a headache.