A lot of people tend to suffer from headaches very frequently and assume it to be regular headaches. However, people tend to have migraines without even realising it. Hence, it is important that you understand if your headache is a migraine as it will help you to manage the condition better. Migraine is a severe headache that causes throbbing and pulsing head pain on one side of your head. Cleveland Clinic says that the headache phase of a migraine usually lasts at least four hours, but it can also last for days. This headache can get worse with physical activity, bright lights, loud noises and strong odour. In most cases, migraines tend to interfere with your daily activities.
Therefore, it is crucial that you understand if your headache is actually a migraine. If you spot these signs when you have a headache, it can help in early diagnosis. This can help you get treated for the condition and eventually help you manage it. Here are some signs that can help you understand if you're having a migraine attack.
Signs That You're Having A Migraine Attack
Throbbing or Pulsing Pain
Migraine headaches tend to feel like a rhythmic pounding that's synced to your heartbeat. It starts with moderate pain but ramps up to severe levels, unlike the dull, steady ache of tension headaches. This happens due to inflamed blood vessels and overactive nerves around the brain, which makes even simple actions like bending over or walking intensify the pain. Routine activities become unbearable as the pain worsens with any movement.
One-Sided Head Pain
The ache usually hits just one side, often the temple, forehead, or behind an eye, though it can spread later. This makes it different from regular tension headaches. It builds gradually over minutes to hours from nerve signals gone haywire in the brain's outer layers.
Lasts 4-72 hours
Regular headaches fade quickly, but migraines tend to linger half a day to three full days without medicines. This can force you to stop normal tasks. This "headache phase" happens due to prolonged chemical releases like serotonin dips and affects brain vessel dilation. Sleep is usually the only relief during this stage.
Nausea or Vomiting
Stomach upset, queasiness, or puking happens in more than 80 per cent of cases. Halting meals and worsening dehydration are rare in regular headaches. Brainstem signals link the head pain to gut reactions via shared nerves, amplifying the symptoms. Pale skin or cold sweats can also accompany.
Sensitivity To Light Or Sound
Bright lights (photophobia) or normal noises (phonophobia) turn out to be torturous, which can be far beyond typical headache annoyance. Hypersensitive brain circuits fire extra during attacks, overwhelming sensory nerves. Smells might trigger it too.
Aura Symptoms Before Pain
In 25-30 per cent of migraines, warning signs like flashing zigzag lights, blind spots, or wavy vision lines appear 20-60 minutes prior. These symptoms are sometimes accompanied with arm tingling or speech glitches. These temporary cortex disruptions signal spreading nerve depression across the brain. Not all migraines have auras, but they're a red flag.
Prodrome Hints
Up to 48 hours before, subtle clues emerge; constant yawning, sweet cravings, mood swings, thirst, or frequent peeing, which are unlike regular headaches. The hypothalamus kicks into overdrive, altering hormones and fluids. Spotting these lets you prepare with rest or meds.
Postdrome Hangover
Once the pain subsides, exhaustion, brain fog, neck stiffness, or mood dips tend to stay for 24-48 hours, leaving you wiped. This "migraine hangover" reflects drained brain chemicals and chronic fatigue. Sensitivity to light/sound may persist, which can delay full bounce-back.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
