What is migraine?

Migraine is a complex condition with a wide variety of symptoms. For many

people the main feature is a painful headache. Other symptoms include
disturbed vision, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, feeling sick and
vomiting. Migraine attacks can be very frightening and may result in you
having to lie still for several hours.

The symptoms will vary from person to person and individuals may have
different symptoms during different attacks. Your attacks may differ in length
and frequency. Migraine attacks usually last from 4 to 72 hours and most
people are free from symptoms between attacks. Migraine can have an
enormous impact on your work, family and social lives.

Are there different types of migraine?

There are different types of migraine. In 1988 the International Headache
Society produced a classification system for migraine and headache which
has been adopted by the World Health Organisation. This has been updated
since then and is the established basis for defining types of
headaches. The International Classification of Headache Disorders system
gives different names to the different types of migraine and headache that
involve different symptoms. This helps doctors to diagnose and treat them.

The most common types of migraine fall into two categories:

 migraine with aura

 migraine without aura.

The ‘migraine with aura’ label is also used for some of the rarer forms of
migraine, which also have another name. These include migraine with
brainstem aura, where symptoms such as loss of balance, double vision, or
fainting can occur. Familial hemiplegic migraine, where reversible paralysis
occurs, is also classed as ‘migraine with aura’. There are other rare forms of
migraine, which are classed separately.

Not everyone will have a ‘typical’ migraine. The experience of the condition
will be unique to you.

Headache or migraine?
Distinguishing between different types of headache can be difficult. You can
experience different types of headaches at different times of your life for
varying reasons. For example, if you have migraine you may also experience
other types of headache. Keeping a migraine or headache diaryis really useful
and can be invaluable in trying to identify a specific headache type.

What is the treatment?

The complex nature of migraine means that the treatments available are
varied and differ from person to person. There is currently no cure for
migraine.

What causes migraine?

There is no known cause for migraine, although most people with it
are genetically predisposed to migraine. If you are susceptible to migraine
there are certain triggers which commonly occur. These include stress, lack of
food, alcohol, hormonal changes in women, lack of sleep and the
environment.