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Overview

What Is a Migraine?

Migraine is a neurological condition that can cause recurring attacks of head pain and other symptoms. The pain may be moderate to severe and can interfere with work, school, sleep, and daily activities. Migraine can affect children, teenagers, and adults, although symptoms may change over time. Understanding what is a migraine can help people recognize when medical advice may be useful.

Symptoms

Migraine Symptoms

A migraine attack may develop in several phases: prodrome before the headache, aura, the headache phase, and postdrome afterward. Not everyone experiences every phase, and some people have migraine without aura. Migraine symptoms can vary from one attack or person to another.

  • Throbbing or pulsating head pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
  • Sensitivity to sound (phonophobia)
  • Visual aura, such as flashing lights or zigzag lines
  • Numbness or tingling (sensory aura)
  • Difficulty speaking (language disturbance)

Causes

What Causes Migraine?

Migraine involves changes in activity and signaling in the brain and nervous system. Genetic susceptibility contributes for many people, which is why migraine often runs in families. These biological factors can make the nervous system more sensitive to internal or environmental changes.

Common migraine triggers

  • Changes in sleep, including too little or too much sleep, may trigger an attack in some people.
  • Skipping meals or going too long without food may contribute to migraine.
  • Dehydration can be a trigger for some people.
  • Stress or the period after intense stress may bring on an attack.
  • Hormonal changes, including those around menstruation, can affect migraine patterns.
  • Bright or flickering light may trigger symptoms.
  • Strong odors, such as perfume or smoke, may be associated with attacks.
  • Alcohol can trigger migraine in some people.
  • Certain foods may be linked to attacks, although food triggers differ widely between people.

Risk Factors

Migraine Risk Factors

Having a risk factor does not guarantee that someone will develop migraine, and people without known risk factors can also have it. Risk factors may affect the likelihood of migraine or the frequency of attacks.

  • Family history of migraine (nonmodifiable)
  • Younger or middle adult age, although migraine can occur at any age (partly nonmodifiable)
  • Sex-related hormonal changes, including menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause (partly nonmodifiable)
  • Irregular sleep patterns (potentially modifiable)
  • Skipping meals (potentially modifiable)
  • Not drinking enough fluids (potentially modifiable)
  • Ongoing or unmanaged stress (potentially modifiable)

Complications

Migraine Complications

  • Missed work, school, or social activities
  • Sleep disruption
  • Anxiety, low mood, or other mood symptoms
  • Medication-overuse headache
  • Chronic migraine
  • Rare serious neurological complications

Medication safety

Avoid medication-overuse headaches

Using acute migraine medicine frequently can worsen headache frequency and lead to medication-overuse headache. Review frequent medicine use with a clinician or pharmacist rather than abruptly changing treatment without guidance.

Diagnosis

How Migraine Is Diagnosed

Migraine diagnosis is usually clinical, meaning it is based on the pattern of symptoms rather than one specific test. A clinician may ask about the duration and frequency of attacks, associated symptoms, possible triggers, family history, and any changes over time. A neurological examination also helps assess whether another condition could be causing the symptoms.

Tests and other conditions to consider

Brain imaging or other tests are not needed for every migraine. They may be recommended when symptoms are unusual, the examination is abnormal, the headache is sudden and severe, or the usual pattern has changed substantially.

Treatment & Management

Migraine Treatment and Management

Medicines for an active migraine attack

Depending on your health history, a clinician or pharmacist may suggest over-the-counter pain relievers, triptans, gepants, anti-nausea medicines, or other acute treatments. Treatment often works best when taken early in an attack, as advised. Follow dosing instructions and ask about interactions, especially if you have other medical conditions or take several medicines.

Preventive migraine treatment

Preventive migraine medicine may be considered when attacks are frequent, prolonged, disabling, or difficult to control with acute treatment. Options may include medicines from several classes, injections or other procedures, and behavioral approaches. A clinician can match migraine therapy drugs and nonmedicine strategies to your symptoms, health history, preferences, and treatment goals.

  • Keep regular sleep and wake times when possible.
  • Eat consistent meals and avoid skipping food.
  • Drink enough water throughout the day.
  • Track possible triggers and attack patterns in a headache diary.
  • Use stress-management approaches such as relaxation exercises, counseling, or mindfulness.
  • Rest in a dark, quiet room during an attack if this helps your migraine relief.
  • Follow the prescribed treatment plan and ask before changing or combining migraine medications.

Prevention

Migraine Prevention

Prevention aims to reduce the frequency, severity, or daily impact of attacks. It may be appropriate when migraines are frequent, prolonged, or difficult to control. A prevention plan can combine healthy routines, trigger awareness, and clinician-guided medicines or procedures.

  • Maintain a regular sleep schedule.
  • Eat consistent meals.
  • Drink adequate fluids.
  • Limit known personal triggers without unnecessarily avoiding large groups of foods or activities.
  • Try moderate physical activity when tolerated.
  • Practice stress-management skills.
  • Discuss preventive medicines or procedures with a clinician when appropriate.

Outlook and Prognosis

Migraine Outlook and Prognosis

Migraine is often a long-term condition, with attacks that vary in frequency and severity over time. Many people improve with an individualized treatment and prevention plan, although symptoms may change with age, hormones, stress, or other life circumstances. Ongoing follow-up is useful when attacks become more frequent, severe, or different from usual.

  • Attack frequency can influence daily life and the need for preventive treatment.
  • Response to treatment varies from person to person.
  • Identifying and managing personal triggers may improve control.
  • Hormonal or life-stage changes can alter migraine patterns.
  • Medication overuse can increase headache frequency.
  • Ongoing follow-up is important when symptoms change or treatment stops helping.

When Should You See a Doctor

When Should You See a Doctor for a Migraine?

  • Headaches are new, worsening, or becoming more frequent.
  • Attacks frequently disrupt work, school, sleep, or daily activities.
  • Symptoms do not improve with your usual treatment.
  • You use acute headache medicine on many days.
  • You experience a first aura or an aura that is unusual for you.
  • You need help confirming whether your symptoms are migraine.

Seek urgent care

Some headache symptoms need immediate evaluation

Seek urgent medical care for a sudden worst-ever headache, new weakness or confusion, fainting, a seizure, fever with a stiff neck, vision loss, a headache after head injury, or symptoms that differ sharply from your usual migraine. These symptoms can have causes that require prompt assessment.

Symptoms

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