What constitutes a migraine?

Headaches can be debilitating. One type of headache in particular often garners extra attention because it can be more severe than others.

Estimates suggest one billion people suffer from migraines. Migraines often affect adults, but they can be common in children as well. Although migraines produce pain in the head, the symptoms may be even more far-reaching.

With so many different types of headache - some with overlapping symptoms - it can be difficult to identify which is affecting an individual at any given time. According to Brandeis Brockman, CRNP, BSN, MSN, a Pennsylvania-based nurse practitioner, fewer than 5 percent of people affected by headaches have been accurately diagnosed. A few significant distinctions separate migraines from other forms of headache. Penn Medicine and Temple Health note the following are some of those distinctions.

· Migraine headache is a neurological disease that can involve chemicals in the brain in nerve pathways.

· Migraines often produce an aura or light haze (a visual disturbance) minutes before patients feel pain. An aura may be characterized by blurred vision and blind spots that expand over time.

· Migraine pain typically occurs on only one side of the head at a time, but sometimes it can affect both.

· A person can experience sensitivity to sounds, touch or smells. Nausea often accompanies a migraine.

· Migraines may be preceded by a period characterized as the pre-headache phase. This features painless symptoms that manifest hours or days before the migraine, and include mood swings, food cravings and stiffness of the neck.

· Some migraines do not produce any head pain, but they may feature other notable migraine symptoms.

· When pain hits, it can be mild to debilitating. Many people get severe pain that makes it difficult to function. A migraine can last for hours or even days.

· Extreme fatigue may set in with migraines. People may go to bed to block out noise and light.

If headaches occur frequently or persist, it is a good idea to discuss symptoms with a doctor. Something more potent than over-the-counter pain relievers may provide relief from migraines.