What is migraine?
It’s common to hear migraine attacks referred to as “migraines” or “migraine headaches.” In this article, we use “migraine” to describe an ongoing health condition with a complex set of symptoms. We use “migraine attacks” to describe short-term attacks as part of this ongoing health condition, which often includes other symptoms.
Migraine is a health condition that is more than just a bad headache. The symptoms of migraine are different from person to person, but often include headaches that keep coming back. They can also include nausea, vomiting, changes in mood, extreme tiredness, and sensitivity to light, noise, and smells. These symptoms can happen all at once during a migraine attack, or they can happen separately in between migraine attacks. Migraine attacks may last from hours to days and make it hard to do everyday activities.
One of the most common symptoms of a migraine attack is moderate to severe throbbing pain that usually happens on one side of the head. Current research shows that this head pain happens when there is abnormal activity among nerve signals, chemical signals, and blood vessels in the brain.
Some people have migraine attacks at predictable times—such as before their period (menstrual cycle) or on weekends following a stressful week. In between attacks, people living with migraine may also experience symptoms like having a hard time concentrating, depression and anxiety, tiredness, difficulty sleeping, and/or body chills.
There are different types of migraine. Migraine with aura happens in some people living with migraine. Aura symptoms are usually changes in vision—like seeing dots, zigzags, or sparks—but can also include changes in a person’s ability to speak. They might also include feelings of pins and needles in different body parts.
There is currently no cure for migraine, but treatments can help manage symptoms.
Several factors can trigger a migraine attack or increase a person’s risk of having one. These factors vary from person to person, and include:
- Sudden changes in weather or environment
- Too much or not enough sleep
- Strong smells or fumes
- Stress that causes changes in mental health and wellbeing
- Too much physical stress on the body
- Loud or sudden noises
- Motion sickness
- Low blood sugar or skipped meals
- Tobacco
- Head trauma
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Some medicines
- Hormonal changes
- Bright or flashing lights
Phases of migraine attack
Migraine attacks happen in phases.
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Prodrome
Aura
Headache
Postdrome
Types of Migraine
The most common type of migraine is migraine without aura. There are other types of migraine that affect some people. Those include:
Migraine with aura
Other types of migraine
Who is more likely to have migraine?
Several factors contribute to whether or not a person will have migraine.
Migraine is a genetic disorder, meaning most people with migraine have a family history of the disorder.
Migraine happens in both children and adults. Clues to watch for in children who are not able to describe their symptoms include sensitivity to light and noise. For example, they may refuse to watch television or use the computer—or they may stop playing to lie down in a dark room.
In general, migraine affects adult females/women more often than males/men. Hormone changes that happen with the menstrual cycle or pregnancy seem to be one important cause of this disparity. Headaches may begin when a woman’s first period begins, or during pregnancy. Most women see improvement in migraine attacks after menopause, although surgical removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy) usually worsens migraine attacks. Using birth control (contraception) can also affect their frequency and severity.
Other migraine disparities exist. Native Americans are more likely to have migraine than other racial/ethnic groups. People who are unemployed and are experiencing poverty are also more likely to have migraine.
Living with a chronic medical condition can weigh on a person’s wellbeing and quality of life. People living with migraine more commonly experience mental health concerns (like depression and anxiety) and sleep disorders than the general population. Other medical conditions that are more common in people living with migraine include bipolar disorder and epilepsy.
How is migraine diagnosed and treated?
Diagnosing migraine
Treating migraine
Non-drug approaches for treating migraines
What are the latest updates on migraine?
NINDS, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the leading federal funder of research on the brain and nervous system—including research on migraine. NINDS supports new and innovative research to better understand, diagnose, and treat many pain conditions, including migraine. NINDS-supported research projects cover a wide range of topics on migraine, such as understanding brain circuits involved in migraine, predicting attacks, improving current treatments, and testing new potential medicines that can treat migraine.
Understanding migraine
Innovative therapies for migraine
Coordinating pain research
How can I or my loved one help improve care for people with migraine?
Clinical trials increase our understanding of migraine with the goal of improving how doctors treat it. Consider participating in a clinical trial so clinicians and scientists can learn more about migraine and related conditions. Clinical research with human participants helps researchers learn more about a health condition and perhaps find better ways to safely detect, treat, or prevent disease.
All types of participants are needed—those who are healthy or may have a health condition—of all different ages, sexes, races, and ethnicities. This helps to ensure that study results apply to as many people as possible, and that treatments will be safe and effective for everyone who will use them.
For information about participating in clinical research visit NIH Clinical Research Trials and You. Learn about clinical trials currently looking for people with migraine at Clinicaltrials.gov.