Migraine

Migraine is the most common cause of disabling headache, affecting 35 million Americans. About 15 percent of women and 6 percent of men experience migraine. The condition is often hereditary. If you have migraines, it is likely that another family member suffers from them too.

These headaches are characterized by recurrent attacks, with pain often on one side of the head that may be throbbing or pounding, accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound, and to head movement. Although migraine can occur at any time of day or night, they tend to affect people in the morning.

As you age, migraines may subside. Studies show that migraine attacks peak between the age of 35 and 45 and then begin to decline.

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and symptoms of migraine headaches include:

Abnormal body sensations, called paresthesias, such as tingling, numbing or prickling
Diarrhea
Dizziness or vertigo
Nausea and vomiting
Scalp tenderness
Sensitivity to light or sound
Throbbing or pounding pain, often on one side of the head
Visual disturbances, such as flashes of light or blind spots in your vision
Worsening of pain with movement

Migraines are diagnosed, based on the description of your symptoms. There's no medical test that can specifically identify the condition. Your doctor will ask about the severity, frequency and duration of your headaches as well as other symptoms you experience and any medications you take.

Before meeting with a headache specialist, maintaining a headache journal that tracks headache patterns — can provide helpful information for your diagnosis and treatment. Information to note in your journal includes:

Duration of pain
Location and severity of pain
Medications taken
Possible headache triggers

If your headache is associated with visual symptoms such as flashing or zig-zagging lights, blind spots or numbness on one side of the head, it is called migraine with "aura," previously known as classic or classical migraine. About 20 percent of people with migraine experience this type of headache.

Migraines can be triggered by a number of factors. By identifying and avoiding these triggers, you can help manage your headaches. Keeping a headache journal that tracks the date, time and onset of your headache, a list of medications, and other external factors can help you and your doctor track patterns and plan treatment.

Common trigger factors include:

Diet — For some people, certain foods trigger migraines, although this is rarely the only cause. Alcohol, especially red wine, the sugar substitute aspartame, caffeine, the food seasoning monosodium glutamate (MSG), foods such as aged cheese that contain tyramine, and nitrites in foods such as preserved meats may cause migraines.
Environmental Factors — Migraine headaches can be triggered by environmental conditions including weather or temperature changes, glaring or fluorescent lights, computer screens, strong odors and high altitude.

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