Migraine Headache

• Migraine Headache Overview
• Migraine Headache Causes
• Migraine Headache Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Migraine Headache Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Other Therapy
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• For More Information
• Web Links
• Multimedia
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Related migraine articles:
  Migraine - on WebMD
  Migraine - on MedicineNet

Migraine Headache Overview

Migraine headaches are one of the most common problems seen in emergency departments and doctors' offices. Migraines are due to changes in the brain and surrounding blood vessels.

Migraine headaches typically last from 4-72 hours and vary in frequency from daily to fewer than 1 per year. Migraine affects about 15% of the population. Three times as many women as men have migraines. More than 80% of people with migraines (called migraineurs) have other members in the family who have them too.

• Different types of migraine headaches
  
  
  • Common migraine accounts for 80% of migraines. There is no "aura" before a common migraine.
    
    
  • People with classic migraines experience an aura before their headaches. Most often, an aura is a visual disturbance (outlines of lights or jagged light images). Classic migraines are usually much more severe than common migraines.
    
    
  • Status migrainosus is a migraine that does not go away by itself.