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Common migraine questions
Direct answers to the questions people with migraine actually ask — about triggers, symptoms, how migraine is diagnosed, and appointments — kept honest about what the evidence says, and clear about how a dated record helps.
Triggers
- Does weather trigger migraines?Many people find weather changes are associated with their migraine attacks, but the evidence is mixed. What's known, and how a diary reveals your pattern.
- Can barometric pressure cause migraines?Some people find shifts in barometric pressure are associated with migraine attacks — an association, not a proven cause. What's known and how to track it.
- What triggers migraines?Common migraine triggers include stress, poor sleep, skipped meals, dehydration and hormones — but they're personal and rarely act alone. How to find yours.
- How do I track migraine triggers?To find migraine triggers, log each attack with possible factors and look for patterns over months, not one bad day. A practical guide to trigger tracking.
- Can lack of sleep cause migraines?Many people find too little, too much or disrupted sleep is associated with their migraines. Sleep is a common reported trigger — how to check your pattern.
- Can dehydration cause migraines?Many people find that not drinking enough is associated with their migraine attacks. Dehydration is a commonly reported trigger, though it rarely acts alone.
Symptoms
- What is migraine aura?Migraine aura is a set of temporary neurological symptoms — often visual, sometimes sensory or speech-related — that usually last 5–60 minutes around an attack.
- Can migraines cause nausea?Yes — nausea, and sometimes vomiting, is one of the most common migraine features and part of what sets migraine apart from an ordinary headache. Here's why.
- Why am I sensitive to light during a migraine?Light sensitivity, or photophobia, is a common migraine feature thought to involve how the migraine brain processes visual input during an attack. What's known.
- How long does a migraine last?An untreated migraine attack typically lasts 4 to 72 hours, and the postdrome 'hangover' can linger. The timeline, and when a long attack needs care.
- What are the four stages of a migraine?A migraine can move through four stages — prodrome, aura, headache and postdrome — though not everyone gets all of them. Here's what each phase feels like.
Understanding migraine
- Is it a migraine or a headache?Migraine is a neurological condition, not just a bad headache. Learn the features — throbbing pain, nausea, light and sound sensitivity — that set it apart.
- How many migraine days is chronic migraine?Chronic migraine is 15 or more headache days a month for over three months, at least 8 with migraine features. What that means, and how to track it.
- What's the difference between chronic and episodic migraine?Episodic migraine means fewer than 15 headache days a month; chronic is 15 or more for over three months, at least 8 migrainous. Here's the difference.
- What is status migrainosus?Status migrainosus is a debilitating migraine attack lasting more than 72 hours — a reason to seek medical advice rather than wait it out. What to know.
- Do migraines get worse with age?For many people migraine changes over time and often eases later in life, but the pattern is individual. What tends to happen with age, and why a record helps.
- What is medication-overuse headache?Medication-overuse headache is linked to overusing acute pain relief — about 10 days a month for triptans, 15 for simple painkillers. An informational guide.
Diagnosis & appointments
- How is migraine diagnosed?Migraine is diagnosed clinically from your history and symptom pattern — there's no single test. What a clinician looks for, and how a diary supports diagnosis.
- What should I bring to a neurologist appointment?Bring a dated record of your migraine days, symptoms, medication use and triggers, plus your questions. A checklist for a productive neurology appointment.
- What is a migraine diary?A migraine diary is a dated record of attacks — frequency, symptoms, severity, medication and triggers — kept to reveal patterns over time. How to keep one.
- How often should migraine be reviewed?How often migraine is reviewed is a clinical decision, but a dated record of your migraine-day and medication trends makes any review appointment useful.
- When should I see a doctor about migraines?See a doctor if migraines are frequent, worsening or hard to control — and seek urgent care for a sudden, severe or unusual headache. A guide to warning signs.