What is the difference between a migraine headache and a regular headache?
Public Comments
1. Migraines last longer, hard to get rid of. And you are senstive to light sound, and smell. Get real sick feeling. Try Advil Migraine. Migraines need special care.Headaches aren't as servere. They usually go away with regular pain relievers.
2. A migraine is like the Energizer Bunny. It just keeps going...and going ...and going ...
3. migraines make you see little spots of light and it is much worst than a regular headache
4. They are severe and light and noise hurt and they last for a long time .
5. In my experience migraines are accompanied by shooting pains up the back of the head, aching jaw, nausea, and dizziness. A regular headache is usually a pain around the temples. Migraines do not always go away with tylenol, most headaches do.
6. A migrane is a bigger headache
7. There are two general 'categories' of migraine headaches: The Classic Migraine/Vascular Migraine and The Common Migraine.
The first type is truly nasty. Only thing worse may be Cluster Headaches.
Common Migraine is really a general term that is probably overused clinically. But, patients like it when the doc 'really takes them seriously' and uses the same 'label' for their headache they use.
I am usually not comfortable using the later term, because I believe it means I have not been able to identify the actual cause of the patient's headaches.
There is no such thing as a 'regular headache'. Every headache has a cause. It can be caused by: sinus problems, infections, TMJ problems, Cervicogenic problems, Myofascial Pain Disorders, Cancer, Chemical toxicity, etc.
Best wishes.
8. They can last for days and you have to take a prescribed drug just for your migraine. I have them severe and have for many years. You take a phenregan for nausea and a Maxalt and pray it will go away. Stay in a very dark room. Sometimes it`s hard to get the pills down your so sick.
9. A migraine has a variety of symptoms that tend to go with it. Classic migraine by definition have visual phenomena.
Scintillating scotoma (flashers)
Phonophobia (sensitivity to noise)
Photophobia (sensitivity to light)
Nausea/Vomiting
Sometimes people will get a prodrome (warning with strange tastes or smells or visual changes)
The physiology of a migraine involves both constriction and then significant dilation of the blood vessels deep within the brain. As a result most migraine treatments are centered around constricting blood vessels or at least regulating them.
The intensity of the headache is NOT the determining factor of a migraine headache or a tension headache. The symptoms above do differentiate them. Underneath it all, migraines have the unique feature of the severe vessel dilation.
