Migraine Symptoms

Understanding Migraine -- Symptoms

In this article

• What Are the Symptoms of Migraines?
• See Your Doctor About Migraines if:

What Are the Symptoms of Migraines?

The symptoms of migraines include:

• A brief period of depression, irritability, anxiety, moodiness, and decreased appetite as much as 24 hours before the onset of a headache
• Symptoms of an aura an hour or less before head pain starts
• A severe, throbbing headache, sometimes concentrated on only one side of the head or around one eye lasting between four and 72 hours
• A headache that worsens with exertion
• Nausea and vomiting
• Extreme sensitivity to light, so painful to the eyes and head that it requires retreat to a darkened room
• Extreme sensitivity to sound
• Arm or leg weakness, difficulty speaking, or confusion
• Severe exhaustion, confusion, or moodiness -- sometimes lasting several days after the headache resolves

Recommended Related to Migraines/Headaches

Understanding Migraines -- Diagnosis and Treatment

There is no specific test to diagnose a migraine headache. If you seek help from your health care provider for recurring headaches, you may be asked to keep a headache diary in which you record information about symptoms leading up to a headache, symptoms of the actual headache, and possible triggers that may have provoked the episode.Your health care provider will want to take a careful history to determine any patterns to your headaches and to learn whether such headaches run in your family....

Read the Understanding Migraines -- Diagnosis and Treatment article > >

See Your Doctor About Migraines if:

• You have severe headaches
• You notice changes in your vision, weakness or paralysis in a body part, or difficulty with balance and walking, especially if these problems do not resolve after the headache is gone
• You develop a fever or stiff neck
• You have unintentional weight loss