"The International Classification of Headache Disorders," now on its second edition, is a publication of the Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society or IHS.
Currently used around the world, it is a volume that provides specific diagnostic criteria for diagnosing migraines.
The latest edition of the publication states that a common migraine headache, also known as a migraine without aura, is characterized by the following: Frequency Individuals suffering from migraine suffers a least five of the said headaches.
Duration The attack must last for a minimum of four hours up to seventy-two hours, excluding the time when the attendant symptoms or prodomes are felt.
If a headache lasts for more than seventy-two hours, it already requires immediate medical attention so other more dangerous conditions can be ruled out.
Descriptions of Pain For a headache to be classified as migraine it must have at least two of the following qualities of pain; 1.
One-sided.
The pain is mainly on just one side of the head.
2.
Throbbing, pounding and pulsating.
Not constant.
3.
Moderate or severe in intensity.
The pain must be intense enough to affect the daily activities of the person suffering from the headache.
4.
Increased by routine physical activities such as bending over or climbing stairs and moving too quickly.
Side Effects The headache pain comes with at least one of the following side effects: 1) Nausea 2) Vomiting 3) Photophobia - sensitivity to light 4) Phonophobia - sensitivity to sound Secondary Exclusions To rule out other conditions that may cause the headaches, appropriate medical testing such as CAT scan or MRI must be conducted on the sufferer.
The above criteria have helped in simplifying the diagnosis of migraine for many individuals.
Since migraine is often associated with extremely high levels of pain, some individuals who are experiencing only moderate pain may not know that they are already suffering from migraines.