Do I Have a Migraine?

Do you feel a throbbing, pulsating, intense pain mainly on one side of your head?

Does the pain move from one side of the head to another?

Do you feel pain in the bones or skin around your eye socket or behind one eye?

Do you feel pain in your temples?

Did you experience a pre-headache period where you felt abnormally fatigued or felt strange?

Did you experience mood changes?

Do you feel that you are unusually sensitive to smells?

Are you experiencing or have you experienced nausea?

Have you vomited?

Are you sensitive to lights?

Do you prefer staying in a dark room?

Do you have visual problems such as seeing flashing lights, zigzag patterns or blind spots?

Are you extremely sensitive to sounds?

Do you feel a stiffness in your neck?

Has your headache lasted between 4 to 72 hours?

Do you have more than one headache per month?

Do you have intense headaches that incapacitate you (you can’t go to work and you cannot participate in social activities)?

Did the headache start right after you woke up?

Did your headache wake you up in the middle of the night?

Is your headache made worse by physical activity?

Is your headache made worse by stress?

When your headache passes, do you feel drained of energy?

It is highly unlikely that your headache is a migraine. The headache you feel is probably due to something else. The causes of a headache can vary from trivial to very serious, so the best advice is to consult a doctor or healthcare professional for more details.

The headache you described can most likely be classified as migraine headache. There are few helpful tips that can help you relieve your migraine pain. Since physical activity and stress may exacerbate your headache, you need to rest as much as possible, preferably in a dark and calm room. Over-the-counter painkillers can also help you with your migraine. In case of uncertainty or for more inforamtion, consult your doctor, who may suggest some prescription medications and activities to help you.