What’s the Difference Between a Headache and a Migraine?

 Many of us suffer from headaches and migraines. Here's how to spot the warning signs and tell the two apart.

In the United States alone, migraines afflict 39 million men, women, and children. Their long variety of triggers results in a terrible, one-sided headache that is difficult to identify from a regular headache without professional assistance.

So, how can you tell the two apart and recognise the warning signs? Intercoastal Medical Group neurologist Dr. Julio Cantero has the answers.

“Migraines are classified as a sort of headache, but the location and symptoms associated with them typically distinguish them,” adds Cantero. “Migraines are usually localised on one side of the head and range in severity from mild to severe. They can also make it difficult for you to do daily tasks.”

What triggers a migraine attack? According to Cantero, the illness is frequently inherited and can run in families. “Other causes include certain foods, stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, specific scents, changes in barometric pressure [weather patterns], or simply changes in daily routine,” says the author.

Nausea, vomiting, and photophobia, or light sensitivity, are all symptoms of migraine. Migraine sufferers may endure a “pre-headache” phase known as prodrome, which includes exhaustion, difficulty concentrating and speaking, and dizziness. The aura phase causes visual abnormalities such as seeing spots or momentary loss of vision in some areas of the eye. While aura is not experienced by everyone who suffers from a migraine, it is one of the most prominent warning symptoms. They might last anywhere from five minutes to an hour, but a migraine can last up to three days and strike at any time.

Chronic migraine sufferers experience 15 or more attacks each month. A neurologist can help decide the best course of action to prevent and decrease these attacks. Although episodic migraine occurs less than 15 times a month, it can still necessitate medical attention.

Are there any new migraine remedies on the market? Calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonists, or CGRP antagonists, are a new migraine-prevention injectable that patients get once a month. This medicine can also be given at an infusion centre once every three months, according to Cantero.

Nurtec is another new drug that comes in pill form and is taken when symptoms start to appear. Nurtec was also recently authorised as a migraine preventative.

“Older migraine drugs known as triptans, which operate by calming down overactive nerves in the brain, are being phased out in favour of these new treatments,” Cantero explains.

Nurtec and most other migraine drugs in pill form are covered by insurance. Because CGRP infusions must be provided at an infusion centre, patients may pay up to $100 per session, depending on their insurance. The injectables will cost the same as a patient's co-pay; however, the whole cost once a month would be about $700.

So, how are headaches and migraines different?

“The difference between headaches and migraines is that you can wake up without a headache and acquire one over the day,” Cantero explains. “There are various types, such as tension and cluster, and they can appear anywhere on the head.”

Tension headaches usually affect the back of the neck and the top of the head. Cluster headaches can be in the front of your head or feel like a band pinching your skull's circumference. They last 30 to 120 minutes on average and happen at the same time every day.

According to Cantero, the most common cause of tension and cluster headaches is stress. When the muscles in our neck and shoulders contract, it creates pain in the surrounding areas. The membrane of the skull is also pulled as a result of the tightening, thus patients may have pain in the front of their heads. Some drugs, as well as reactions to certain foods, can trigger headaches.

Cantero argues that “common headaches” can be handled at home. Hot compresses to avoid discomfort and cold compresses to ease acute pain are his recommendations. Some caffeinated drinks, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen or pain relievers like acetaminophen, can help lessen headache pain. Migraine symptoms can also be alleviated by getting enough sleep and limiting light and sound.

“The main component in searching for warning signs and distinguishing between the two is that patients don't feel like doing what they normally would with a migraine,” Cantero explains. “A migraine is diagnosed when the prodrome and aura are present. It's more probable a cluster or tension headache if they wake up fine but acquire a headache by the afternoon.”