5 Signs Your Headaches Are Actually Migraines

Many people might not know what's causing their head pain. All they know is their head hurts and they want relief. However, a number of things can cause head pain, and knowing what those causes are can help you get to the root of the problem and thus get treatment for it.

One major type of head pain is migraine pain. The doctors at Valley Neurology and Pain specialize in treating migraines. They want to help you understand if the head pain you may be experiencing is migraine pain. In this blog, they discuss what migraines are and give five signs that you may be dealing with migraines.

Signs of a migraine

Part of the problem with identifying migraines is that they can come with varying symptoms. Your migraine experience could bear little resemblance to someone else's. However, certain symptoms seem to affect a wide range of migraine sufferers.

Migraine sufferers may experience one or a combination of symptoms. If you experience any of the following signs, you may be dealing with migraines instead of another type of headache.

1. Pain on one side

It's possible to have a migraine that affects both sides of your head, but migraine pain usually only affects one side, though it isn't understood why this is the case. The main suspects are the trigeminal nerves, of which there are two. Once you have a migraine, the nerve on the side it occurred first could become the easiest route to the brain for future episodes.

2. Feeling "off" before the pain

Migraines often cause certain symptoms a day or two before the head pain starts. These symptoms may include a stiff neck, mood changes, food cravings, or constipation. This stage is called the prodrome stage, and, in time, you may begin to recognize the symptoms before a migraine attack.

3. Debilitating headache

While tension or sinus headaches can be annoying, they usually only produce pain that's distracting, not debilitating. Migraines, on the other hand, can produce sharp and throbbing pain that temporarily disables you.

4.Other senses affected

Migraines can affect your sight, hearing, touch, and sense of smell before and during a migraine. This is called an aura. Visual effects are most common, but you could experience changes to the other senses as well.

5. Long-lasting episodes

The duration of an untreated migraine can range from four hours to three days. Even after the pain is over, you may feel fatigued, irritable, or depressed. Conventional headaches don't last that long or cause as many body symptoms.

You can reduce the severity or number of migraines you experience with a personalized treatment plan. At Valley Neurology and Pain, with three convenient Arizona locations in Phoenix and Peoria, you are never a number. Your consultation, examination, and treatment are always administered by a highly qualified physician. When it comes to migraines, we have several experienced physicians who can help you, including Toure Knighton, MD, Dinesh Chinthagada, MD, Jin Yuk, MD, Patricia Henthorn, DC, and Jon Tanner, DC. To learn more, book an appointment online or over the phone today.