There are really,reallybad headaches and then there are migraines.
So, what differentiates a common headache from a migraine?
There are some very specific things that make migraines …migraines.
They happen in multiple locations.
“It feels like a tightness and can limit your concentration.”
A headache can be brief lasting less than an hour or linger for several days."
But here’s theessentialtakeaway regular headache pain is localized.
There aren’t additional symptoms in other parts of the body, as is the case with migraines.
“Generally, migraine headaches are differentiated by auras and triggers,” he said.
“A trigger is something specific that sets off a migraine.”
Common triggers are stress, an adverse reaction to a food, hunger, and dehydration.
Migraines have more specific locations
The eyes have it!
As Dr. Khorsandi explained, “Migraines are usually located behind the eye.”
I am plagued by auras before the migraine arrives.
Been there, done that.
They often last for several hours or days and require prescribed medication to relieve symptoms."
Clearly, migraines have way more additional symptoms and physical disruptions.
“It commonly shoots into the back of the eye, and can even cause a visual field defect.
The headache is often excruciating and is always mistaken by doctors as being a migraine headache.”
So what makes it different?
Dr. Platt notes it is “a steady piercing pain, and not throbbing like a migraine headache.”
They just feel like a sinus headache because of where the pain is and how sick you feel."
So don’t self-diagnose or misdiagnose your migraine as a sinus headache.
The analysis is best left to a professional.
It did nothing more than upset my stomach if I took multiple pills.
I can attest that once I started taking prescribed Imitrex, my headaches would go away.
However, intensity is not the most important factor.
“The most relevant, however, is a history of migraines,” Dr. Jones told me.
People seldom start having migraines after 30."
“A migraine, like diabetes or arthritis, is a lifelong disease.
One has it or one doesn’t,” she said.
In very complex ways, that’s how!
With tension-pop in headache, people can often function during their daily activities."
Lastly, don’t be afraid to seek professional help.
A cervicogenic headache “is posture or activity related and can be improved with modifications.
Generally, there is a muscle or muscles from neck and shoulder causing this pain.
So how does one differentiate between the two?
The Flexion Rotation Test.
You will need someone else to help you perform this test, per Dr. Kubissa.
then rotate head to both sides,” he said.
To find out the cause, you better see a qualified medical professional.
Frequently, such as in my case, there is both a cervicogenic and migraine component.
Therefore, sometimes it is difficult to classify as one or the other."
Don’t let headaches run your life.
