Migraine 101: Is Your Headache a Migraine?

Neuroinflammatory brain conditions cause migraines. They are not the same as headaches, which are just one of the many possible migraine symptoms. Understanding the difference between the two is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

Headaches Versus Migraines

Migraines can be more challenging to control than tension headaches, which you can alleviate with over-the-counter drugs like paracetamol and ibuprofen. In addition, they pose a few more characteristic symptoms, such as exhaustion, nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light. For instance, a person suffering from a migraine will often choose to stay in a dark, quiet area and be less inclined to use the stairs. These are only some of the most typical manifestations.

Many people are surprised to learn that migraine attacks vary widely from person to person. While some might only experience mild discomfort, others are hit with full-body symptoms that interfere with concentration, mobility, and even verbal communication. Because of this, what works for one person may not work for another—making professional guidance especially valuable.

A migraine attack may last for a few hours or several days, and the resulting pain can be severe enough to make everyday life difficult to manage. Some patients have a warning sign known as an aura before or after the headache.

The Four Stages of a Migraine

Migraines, which can strike people of any age, have four distinct phases: the prodrome, the aura, the attack, and the post-drome. However, not everyone who gets a migraine goes through each stage. Learning about these stages can help individuals feel more in control and aware of what’s happening in their body.

Prodrome

Some people experience subtle changes in the hours or even days leading up to a migraine that serve as warning signs, such as:

• Constipation
• Food cravings
• Lack of appetite
• Increased urination
• Fluid retention
• Diarrhea
• Bloating
• Severe thirst
• Being sensitive to sound, light or smell
• Mood changes (depression or euphoria)
• Frequent yawning
• Fatigue
• Neck stiffness

These early signs often fly under the radar, but paying attention to them can help with early intervention and better planning.

Aura

Certain people can experience auras before, during, or even after migraine attacks. Auras are neurological symptoms that can be treated and usually disappear with time. Although they are typically visible, these anomalies can also take on other forms. Each sign typically starts mild, worsens over several minutes, and finally peaks after an hour. Aura symptom examples include:

• Vision loss
• Ringing in your ears
• Pins and needles sensation in legs and arms
• Numbness or weakness on one side of the body or in the face
• Having legs and arms that feel heavy
• Visual phenomenon (bright or black spots, wavy lines, shapes that are not there, tunnel vision, flashes of light, etc.)
• Difficulty speaking
• Changes in taste, smell and touch

While these symptoms can be alarming, they’re a key part of the neurological picture and help differentiate migraines from other types of pain.

Attack

They start as a dull ache and worsen, sometimes becoming an unbearable pain. Exercise intensifies it. Your head may hurt on one side, in the front, or all around.

Four-fifths of headache sufferers have nausea and half vomit. Many also become pallid, clammy, or faint.

Typically, they last four hours, but severe ones can last for days. Two to four monthly headaches are common, but some get them only once or twice a year.

At this point, the focus should be on minimizing stimuli and practicing relaxation or guided techniques—whatever works best to bring a sense of calm and comfort.

Post-Drome

It can leave you exhausted, bewildered, and disoriented for a day. Some feel elated. Head movement may temporarily re-induce pain. This stage can last a day following an attack. Additional symptoms include muscle weakness or pain and lack of appetite or food cravings.

Though the worst may be over, it’s still important to rest and recover during this final phase. Rehydration and gentle stretching can be helpful during post-drome recovery.

How to Lower Your Risk of Migraines

Migraines are inherited and incurable. Therefore, we may take a management and empowerment stance when dealing with them, beginning with a focus on how your daily habits may be contributing to your condition. For example, is your job too stressful or do menstrual hormones induce headaches? Perhaps you are dehydrated or sleeping poorly.

Learning about your unique triggers can take time, but the more consistent you are in tracking episodes, the clearer the patterns become. Even subtle changes—like skipping a meal or staying up late—can be enough to tip the balance for someone with a sensitive nervous system.

Next, a balanced diet is crucial. Migraine management requires avoiding processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, and nitrates. Prioritizing whole foods, staying well hydrated, and maintaining a steady sleep routine can be powerful lifestyle defenses.

If you have migraines, record your episodes and treatments, then consult Foothills Neurology about your headaches. Our skilled neurologists and physicians keep up with neurology developments and employ cutting-edge diagnostics.

We don’t just treat the symptoms—we look at the full picture. Foothills Neurology treats migraines by looking at their symptoms and what causes them. Once they find the cause, they can make a treatment plan that is right for you. Contact us so we can help you improve your quality of life today.