Understanding the Difference Between a Strong Headache and a Migraine

Migraines are a type of headache disorder. However, just because you have headaches — no matter how painful or often — that doesn’t mean you get migraines.

When you’re in the middle of an attack, you might not care what type of headache you have. You just want the pain to stop. However, migraines may need treatment that isn’t required for other types of headaches.

At Addison Pain + Regenerative Medicine in Addison, Texas, Dr. John East diagnoses and treats all types of headache disorders, including migraines. But make no mistake, a migraine is more than just a headache.

What are the differences between headaches and migraines? Read on to learn more.

Migraines are a neurological condition

According to the American Migraine Foundation, approximately 39 million women, men, and children in the United States suffer from migraines. However, most people don’t get diagnosed or treated, so the number could be significantly higher.

Unlike headaches, migraines usually cause other symptoms in addition to head pain. You may experience:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sensitivity to light, sound, and smells
• Dizziness
• Extreme fatigue

Also unlike most other types of headaches, you can’t necessarily trace the origins of a migraine. For instance, it doesn’t start with eye strain or an infection. You may, however, be able to identify triggers that are more likely to set them off.

Migraines may come in phases

Another difference between other headaches and migraines is that you may get warning signs of a migraine before you experience one. The phases differ between individuals, and you may experience them in a different order or not at all and at varying times. 

In general, you can expect a migraine to progress something like this:

1. Prodrome or pre-headache phase

Hours or days before a migraine attack, you might experience food cravings, mood swings, or a stiff neck.

2. Aura phase

The aura phase affects your vision. You may see lights or colors or an aura around objects. Your vision might be blurred or have blind spots. You might also experience numbness in your limbs or confused or slurred speech. 

3. Headache phase

Migraine head pain can range from mild to completely debilitating. You may struggle to get through your day because any activity or exposure to light can increase your pain. However, you might not always experience a headache, even when you have a migraine.

4. Postdrome phase

In this phase, your pain finally subsides. However, you may feel confused or fatigued.

Headaches may have a direct cause

If you get other types of headaches but don’t have migraines, you may be able to trace the cause based on its presentation. The most common types of headaches are:

Tension headaches

Tension headaches cause pain across the sides and maybe the back of your head, usually due to eyestrain, stress, or hunger.

Sinus headaches

This painful headache usually arises due to a sinus infection. Your entire face may hurt, especially when you bend forward.

Cluster headaches

These headaches tend to occur in clusters — they may happen at around the same time of day for several days or more in a row. Physical exertion, bright lights, and high altitude can trigger cluster headaches, which occur when your blood vessels dilate.

There is treatment for all headaches

Although most headaches respond to over-the-counter painkillers, you may not want to rely on those if you get chronic headaches. Some treatments and preventive measures we may recommend include:

• Eliminating alcohol and tobacco
• Switching to a whole-food diet
• Hydrating well and often
• Cutting down on sugar
• Cutting down on caffeine
• Getting treatment for bruxism (i.e., tooth grinding)
• Antidepressants
• Muscle relaxants

If you get sinus headaches, you may need to take a course of antibiotics to eradicate a bacterial infection.

Botox prevents some chronic headaches and migraines

Whether you have a migraine or another type of chronic headache disorder, Botox® may help. While you may normally associate Botox with taming wrinkles on the upper face, it has medical applications too. One of those is regulating and reducing the pain of chronic headaches.

Botox is FDA-approved for migraine relief. It helps minimize migraines by interrupting the transmission of pain signals between your brain and the nerves in your face and neck. The injection pattern for Botox to treat headaches is different from treating wrinkles, but the mechanism of action is similar. 

You need about 31 tiny injections of Botox around your head and neck. Botox prevents 8-9 headache days per month. When surveyed, 91% of migraine sufferers who received Botox wish they’d started the preventive treatment sooner than they did. 

Do you have migraines or chronic headaches? Contact us for migraine pain relief and prevention by calling our office at 972-380-0000 or requesting an appointment online today.