Migraine is headache plus
Because some conditions and diseases are more debilitating than others, public health officials and policy makers have ways of defining just how disruptive and limiting each may be. One way they do this is by assessing the burden of each disease through a universal measurement called disability-adjusted life years, or DALYs. DALYs are calculated by determining the number of years a disability will cost a person and by the number of years they will experience a diminished quality of life because of the disability.
Of the many disabling disorders categorized within this system, migraine attacks rank among the most severe. “It’s a condition the World Health Organization considers the second most disabling condition on the planet in terms of DALYs,” explains Dr. Robert Cowan, a neurologist and emeritus director of the headache program at Stanford Medicine.
It can be helpful to understand what migraine headaches are and what causes them.
What is a migraine?
A migraine is a type of headache that’s known for its unpredictability, severity and accompanying symptoms such as throbbing head pain, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. “A few people also experience a migraine ‘aura’ of bright visual symptoms that last around an hour, but most people experience the ‘sick’ form of the headache,” explains Dr. Anne MacGregor, a headache and women’s health specialist at the Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery and Trauma in London.
Many migraine symptoms are debilitating enough that it becomes difficult or impossible for the affected person to carry out even routine daily activities. “Migraine attacks can have a substantial impact on a person’s life and it’s not uncommon for someone to share that they’ve had to miss out on important life events, turn down opportunities or have had relationships negatively impacted because of them,” says Rashmi Halker-*
Singh, director of the headache medicine fellowship program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.
How are migraine attacks different than headaches?
Some people think of a migraine as being different than a headache, but the reality is that a migraine is simply one of many different types of headache.
Another way of thinking about the difference between the two is that a headache is literally any form of ache or pain experienced in one’s head, while the pain associated with a migraine is usually a more acute and severe pain while also being accompanied by the other debilitating symptoms.
Specific conditions must be met for a headache to be defined as a migraine. “A migraine diagnosis is made when a person has at least five lifetime attacks of headache or head pain that meets certain criteria,” says Halker-Singh. These include one’s pain lasting at least four hours without treatment and at least two of the following four features: the pain is more intense on one side of one’s head; it throbs or pulsates; it’s moderate to severe in intensity; and it worsens with activity. And, individuals will experience nausea or a sensitivity to lights and sounds during the migraine.
What causes migraine attacks?
Migraine attacks are believed to have several causes or contributing factors. One area that has been well studied is the part genetics play. “In the most basic of terms, migraine is considered a genetic disorder,” says Halker-Singh.
Another factor is that those who are hypersensitive to general stimuli may experience migraines more frequently.
It’s also possible that nothing significant has caused the migraine and that it’s the result of a threat that isn’t there. “The main job of the brain is to help one survive by warning of potential threats from the environment,” Cowan says.
Migraine attacks can be both uncomfortable and inconvenient; but it’s a common condition that has many treatment options.