Headache: differences between headache and migraine
Migraine or hemicrania is a very common disease, with a genetic basis, which usually affects between 12% and 16% of the population. But, What differentiates headache from migraine?
Headache and migraine are not the same. Headache is a discomfort that causes a headache. There are two types: primary headaches, which have numerous causes; and secondary headaches that derive from an illness. For example, a brain tumor or Lyme disease.
Migraine and tension headaches belong to the group of primary headaches.although migraines usually appear along with nausea and vomiting. As for these, the type of pain is different. While a migraine presents throbbing pain, a headache is characterized by oppressive pain, like pressure in the head. Migraines also usually affect half of the head, and tension headaches affect both halves. Headache can appear for different reasons: stress, fatigue, anxiety, excess coffee or tobacco, and migraine is genetic.
Migraine symptoms
Migraine causes great suffering to the person who suffers from it and their families. Generally, it appears as recurrent attacks of headache, which can vary in frequency, intensity and duration. As mentioned, this pain is usually located on one side of the head, and in addition to appearing along with nausea and vomiting, patients usually express discomfort towards light and noise. Migraine is both a chronic and episodic condition that manifests itself in the form of attacks.
In summary, the most common causes of migraine are:
Tension headaches and migraines represent up to 95% of primary headaches and, without a doubt, the latter disease causes a deterioration in the quality of life of people who suffer from it.
Types of migraine
There are different types of migraine and, therefore, the symptoms and severity can vary from one person to another..
Knowing exactly the type of migraine is essential to employ the most effective treatment. In fact, 60-70% of migraine patients are not diagnosed correctly, due among other things to the fact that it is difficult to objectively know the symptoms they produce and the areas of the head that are affected by that sensation of pain. Thus, the correct diagnosis largely determines the success of the cure.
Taking into account the classification of International Headache Society (ICHD-3), the types of migraine are:
1. Migraine without aura (common migraine)
This is the very common and most frequent type of migraine. Symptoms include moderate to severe throbbing headache that often occurs without warning. The pain is usually felt in only one part of the head, and appears along with nausea, confusion, blurred vision, and excessive sensitivity to light, noise, and smells.
In some ways, this type of migraine is similar to a headache whose intensity is very high, that is, a quantitative difference compared to a common headache and run-of-the-mill with a few extra symptoms, such as sensitivity to light.
The attacks last from 4 to 72 hours and usually recur a couple of times a week. Body movement makes symptoms worse.
Also known as classic migraine or complicated migraine, It is characterized by including visual disturbances and other neurological symptomsknown as auras, which appear 10 to 60 minutes before the headache occurs. The person who feels it may partially lose vision.
The aura can occur without a headache and can manifest at any time. In addition to visual disturbances, other symptoms may appear such as: abnormal sensation, numbness or muscle weakness on one side of the body; a tingling sensation in the hands or face; difficulty speaking and confusion. Likewise, nausea, loss of appetite, and increased sensitivity to light, sound, or noise may precede the headache.
3. Migraine without headache
As its name indicates, This type of migraine does not present a headache, but it does present vision problems and other symptoms associated with the aura.. Additionally, it may appear with belly pain, nausea or vomiting.
Some experts suggest that fever, dizziness, or unexplained pain in one part of the body may also be a consequence of this type of migraine.
4. Basilar migraine
Basilar migraine mainly affects children and adolescents, and includes migraine symptoms with aura that originate in the brain stem. However, patients do not present motor weakness. It tends to appear more frequently in adolescent women and could be associated with their menstrual cycles.
Symptoms include partial or complete loss of vision or double vision, dizziness and loss of balance (vertigo), poor muscle coordination, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and fainting. Throbbing pain can appear suddenly and is felt on both sides of the head, specifically the back.
Hemiplegic migraine is a subtype of migraine that occurs infrequently.. However, its symptoms are severe, because it causes temporary paralysis in a part of the body that can last even for days. This paralysis usually emerges before the headache.
Symptoms such as vertigo, pins and needles, and problems with vision, speech, or swallowing may begin before the headache and usually stop shortly afterward. When it occurs in families, this disorder is called Familial Hemiplegic Migraine.
6. Retinal migraine
This type of migraine is rare and is characterized by attacks of visual loss or alterations in one eye.. These attacks, like the more common visual auras, are preceded by migraine headaches. On the other hand, visual loss cannot be explained by damage to the eye or the optic nerve.
7. Chronic migraine
When headaches occur for 15 or more days a month, for at least three months, then chronic migraine is diagnosed.
Chronic migraine can be with or without aura, and usually requires preventive medications. Likewise, it is necessary to carry out behaviors to control the appearance of symptoms, since chronic migraine can become disabling. After taking the drugs, almost 50% of patients continue to have migraines, but this time episodic.
Prevention of this disease
Although the cause appears to be genetic, there are different factors that precipitate the symptomatic appearance of migraine. Therefore, It is always best to take precautions to minimize the impact of this condition:
