How to Know If You Have a Migraine Headache

How to Know If You Have a Migraine Headache

Headaches come in all shapes and sizes.  But if you have chronic problems with painful, debilitating headaches you could be suffering from migraine headache.  There are several clues that you may be having a migraine instead of another type of headache.  You’ll want to start by keeping a journal of your symptoms so that you can track patterns in your pain and determine what type of headache you have.

People who suffer from migraine headache often have an early warning sign called the “aura”.  This is typically the feeling of seeing flashing lights.  You can compare it to the feeling of seeing spots when someone has taken a photo of you with a flash on their camera.  However, this feeling doesn’t go away for several minutes to an hour.  For many people this is the first sign they are having a migraine headache instead of another type.

Migraine headache is also usually accompanied by severe head pain on one side of the head about 30 minutes after the aura begins.  The pain can also be accompanied by nausea and even vomiting.  Pain can be so severe that you want to just lie in a dark, quiet room.  You may find it difficult to sleep while experiencing the pain of a migraine.

Typically, over the counter medications are ineffective when it comes to migraines.  These are headaches that are the result of blood vessels contracting and dilating in the brain.  Aspirin isn’t enough to stop the process that causes this severe pain.

The good news is that treatment is available that can help prevent or stop migraine pain.  But it’s important that you get diagnosed by a physician in order to receive this medical intervention.  Many people also learn what types of things trigger their migraine headaches and this can help to reduce the number of headaches one experiences.

If you suffer from migraine headache, you need to stop going it alone.  Make an appointment to talk to your doctor about your headache symptoms.  It helps to keep a diary of your headaches with the date they occurred as well as what you were doing when each headache occurred.  It also helps to write down what you had to eat in the 24 hour period before your headache happened as specific foods can trigger migraines.

Migraine headache was once very difficult to treat.  But modern medicine has made many advances that can help end your suffering.  It’s important to seek out medical advice to determine your type of headache.

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