Migraine

Migraine is a headache disorder that causes intense pulsing pain deep within your head. Migraine episodes may last between 4 and 72 hours untreated, significantly limiting your ability to carry out your daily routine. During one, you may experience:

• throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head
• light sensitivity
• sound sensitivity
• nausea and vomiting

About one-thirdTrusted Source of those with migraine experience visual disturbances before the headache phase starts. Known as migraine aura, it may cause you to see:

• flashing or shimmering lights
• zigzag lines
• stars
• blind spots

Auras can also include tingling on one side of your face or in one arm and trouble speaking.

Possible medical emergency

The symptoms of a stroke can also mimic a migraine episode. If any of these symptoms are new to you, seek immediate medical attention.

Migraine might run in your family, or the condition can be associated with other nervous system conditions. According to the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), people assigned female at birth are three times more likelyTrusted Source to develop migraine than people assigned male at birth. People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also have an increased riskTrusted Source of migraine.

Common migraine triggers include environmental factors, such as:

• sleep disruption
• dehydration
• skipped meals
• some foods
• hormone fluctuations
• exposure to chemicals