How to Identify a Migraine

Overview

A migraine is a type of headache that often occurs only on one side of the head, and may be associated with nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances and light sensitivity. Migraines occur in approximately 11 of 100 people, and more often in women than in men, according to the National Institutes of Health. Most sufferers can identify a migraine at the onset of an attack, according to lead researcher Daisy Ng-Mak, an epidemiologist at Columbia University, in an article in the May 2007 issue of "Headache." That enables them to take appropriate steps to stop the symptoms.

Step 1

Determine the location and severity of the headache to help differentiate it from a tension-type headache or cluster headaches. Migraine sufferers may complain of mild to severe throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head that can be debilitating. Tension-type headaches, on the other hand, are steady, mild to moderate in intensity and always on both sides of the head. Cluster headaches are severe and unilateral, involving the eye area or the side of the head.

Step 2

Analyze your symptoms. Nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light or sensitivity to sound are typical of migraines. Tension headaches have no associated symptoms. Tearing of the eye, sweating, eyelid drooping and runny nose accompany cluster headaches.

Step 3

Determine if you experienced an aura before the headache started. An aura is a temporary disturbance of balance, coordination, speech, sensation or vision that begins a few minutes to an hour before the migraine, and may continue after the pain stops. Visual symptoms can include flashing lights or seeing stars or zigzags. Approximately 25 percent of migraine patients have auras, according to the Merck Manual.

Step 4

Track the pattern of your headaches and their duration in a diary or journal. Migraines may last four to 72 hours, while tension headaches typically last 30 minutes to seven days. Cluster headaches typically last 15 minutes to three hours, and occur once every other day.

Step 5

Determine the impact of the headaches on your daily activities. If you have had to limit activities for a day or more in the past three months, you may have migraines, according to the National Headache Foundation. Cluster headaches also cause intense pain, but they are distracting, not debilitating.

Step 6

Discuss your findings with your health care provider so he can develop an appropriate treatment plan.