Migraine is more than a headache. It’s a common brain condition that causes pain and other symptoms.
About 5 million people in Australia have migraine, including children and adults. But many aren’t diagnosed with the condition.
Migraine can affect both your physical and mental health. It’s a leading cause of disability worldwide because it has a big impact on work, family and social life.
On this page, you’ll find information about the phases of migraine, symptoms of different migraine types and how to prevent and treat migraine attacks.
Can migraine be cured?
Will migraine go away?
What’s the difference between migraine and headache?
The phases of migraine
Who is more likely to get migraine?
Migraine and the gender pain gap
What are the symptoms of different migraine types?
Common migraine triggers
How to prevent migraine attacks
Treatments for migraine attacks
Health risks of migraine
There isn’t a cure for migraine. While migraine can’t be cured, it can be managed with lifestyle changes and the right treatments and support.
Some people have fewer migraine attacks as they get older. Migraine attacks may even go away after menopause.
What migraine feels like varies from person to person, and migraine attacks can also vary. But certain factors set migraine apart from other headache types.
Researchers have developed an ID-migraine questionnaire to check if you have migraine.
During the last 3 months when you had headache, did you have the following with your headache:
If you answer ‘yes’ to at least 2 of the 3 questions above, there’s a high likelihood you have migraine.
Many people with migraine experience different phases.
Early warning signs happen up to 24 hours before migraine. You might notice changes to:
About one in 3 people experience migraine with aura. Most people with aura get visual disturbances like bright zigzag lines, flashing lights and blind spots. Other common aura symptoms include numbness, dizziness, confusion, difficulty speaking or abdominal pain. The aura can last for up to an hour.
Women are more likely than men to have migraine with aura.
Migraine headache usually lasts between 4 and 72 hours. It can include a throbbing headache, often on one side, that feels worse when you move. Plus symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, neck pain, and sensitivity to light, sound and smell.
A migraine attack may end slowly or suddenly. After an attack, some people feel better, but others may still feel tired, sick or sensitive to light and sound.
A migraine hangover can happen after the attack has resolved. Symptoms may include brain fog, fatigue, feeling dizzy or confused and low mood. Some people have a headache.
This is the time between attacks where people don’t have symptoms. Your doctor may consider this phase as part of the diagnosis process.
You are more likely to get migraine if:
Women are more likely to get migraine than men. Women are also more likely to have long-lasting, severe migraine attacks more often.
Research suggests that women’s hormones play an important role in migraine.
About half of women in Australia have their first migraine before the age of 18.
Only about one third of people with migraine get a proper diagnosis, enabling them to get treatments to help them cope. The majority of people missing out are females. This is partly because of the gender pain gap.
The gender pain gap happens because:
It’s important to understand migraine symptoms so you know when to see your doctor. Learning about migraine may also help you to get the right diagnosis for your condition.
Symptoms can vary for each type of migraine, and each migraine attack can vary. Most, but not all, migraine types include symptoms of head pain.
Migraine without aura is common. You experience head pain but without symptoms, such as visual disturbances, beforehand.
Migraine with aura affects about one in 3 people who get migraine. Symptoms, such as visual disturbances, happen before the head pain.
Menstrual migraine is when you have migraine in at least 2 out of 3 menstrual cycles. If you get a migraine attack just before or during your period, it may be due to a drop in oestrogen hormone levels. Many women say these attacks are worse than other types of migraine attacks.
Chronic migraine is diagnosed when you have attacks on 15 or more days a month, with migraine symptoms on at least 8 of those days, over 3 or more months. Symptoms can include head pain, aura, or both. Without proper treatment, it can have a big impact on your daily life.
Abdominal migraine is more common in children under 7 years. Symptoms include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and lack of appetite. About two thirds of people will also have head pain. Attacks can last from 2 to 72 hours.
About 5 in 100 people who have migraine get migraine without head pain.
About 1 in 100 people who have migraine have status migraine. With this type of migraine, head pain symptoms can last longer than 72 hours. Medicine may not work as well, and you may get dehydrated due to nausea and vomiting. See your doctor if your migraine lasts longer than 72 hours.
This is a rare kind of migraine that’s usually diagnosed in adolescent girls. The aura symptoms come from the base of the brain (the brainstem).
Symptoms can include difficulty speaking, dizziness, vertigo, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), partial hearing loss, double vision and uncoordinated movements. The buzzing headache is felt at the back of the head, at the base of the skull.
Some types of migraine have different aura symptoms.
Vestibular migraine is more common in women than men. Aura symptoms include balance problems, vertigo, dizziness and sometimes ringing in the ears. The symptoms keep going after the head pain starts – although it’s common to not have head pain. You’re more likely to have motion sickness or anxiety if you have this type of migraine. It’s important to get a diagnosis so you receive the right treatment.
Ocular or retinal migraine is when you have aura symptoms only in one eye. It can include shimmering, flickering, blind spots or temporary loss of vision, usually before the head pain starts. You can usually see normally with your other eye.
This is a rare type of migraine that limits movement in half of your body. Symptoms start before the head pain. They can range from muscle weakness with numbness and tingling, to temporary paralysis in one arm, leg or side of your body. This type of migraine can last for days or longer.
This type of migraine can be mistaken for stroke. But in stroke, symptoms happen straight away, whereas in hemiplegic migraine, symptoms happen gradually.
Another rare type of hemiplegic migraine limits movement on both sides of your body. You may be so weak that you can’t stand. This is known as ‘give way’ weakness. Some people have a milder feeling of weakness and experience sensory changes between attacks.
If you get migraine, certain triggers can increase the likelihood of an attack. It can be hard to avoid triggers, but there are ways to reduce the impact.
Try to be aware of your triggers, have medicine on hand, ask for support and be kind to yourself if an attack happens.
Common triggers include:
Sensory triggers include:
Certain foods and drinks can trigger migraine. For example:
Hormonal changes can trigger migraine attacks. For example, during your menstrual cycle, during pregnancy or around the time of menopause. Hormone medicines, such as the Pill or menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), can also trigger attacks.
You can’t always prevent migraine attacks, but you may be able to minimise the impact.
When managing your triggers:
If you have 3 or more migraine-affected days per month, or pain-relief medicines aren’t working, talk to your doctor. They might recommend different preventative medicines. For example, beta blockers, certain anti-depressants or anti-epilepsy medicines. If these don’t work, you could try the following medicines.
This type of medicine can help prevent migraine attacks. A chemical called ‘calcitonin gene-related peptide’ (CRGP) surges during a migraine attack. This medicine can reduce the effect of CRGP. Research suggests these medicines can reduce the number of attacks and how long they last.
Only certain brands of the medicine are available on the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), and you need to meet the criteria, so ask your doctor for more information.
You can prevent menstrually-related migraine by using prescription medicines in the days just before and during your period. For example, triptans or oestrogen medicine. Hormone medicines, such as the Pill, can even out hormones that usually vary during your menstrual cycle.
Injectable neurotoxins, for example, Botox, can reduce migraine attacks. These are injected into your face and neck to block the action of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that create migraine pain. Over time, they can make your brain less sensitive to migraine triggers. Injectable neurotoxins are available on the PBS for this condition.
It’s important to learn about the benefits and risks of different medicines.
Ask your doctor about recommended doses and potential side effects of each medicine – this will help you make an informed decision.
When you have a migraine attack, it’s important to act as soon as possible. Your doctor can help you make a personal action plan. This is especially helpful if you have brain fog with migraine.
You can find a personal action plan on the Migraine Australia website.
Most people find it helpful to rest in a quiet, dark room when symptoms of migraine start. You can also try:
It’s important to be kind to yourself and ask others for support if you have an attack.
Ask your doctor about different pain-relief medicines. They will recommend the right medicine based on the type of migraine you get and your health history.
It’s important to avoid overusing headache medicine, as this can make your migraine worse over time.
If you have nausea and find it hard to take or keep tablets down, you can try different options, such as dissolvable wafers, sprays, suppositories or injections.
Ibuprofen and aspirin are better than paracetamol at easing symptoms of migraine. Studies suggest aspirin significantly reduces pain within 2 hours if taken in a large dose at the start of an attack. Your doctor can prescribe stronger pain-relief medicine if needed.
Opioids are not recommended by Australian medical guidelines.
Your doctor can prescribe medicine called ‘triptans’ that help ease moderate to severe migraine pain. This may help people who don’t get relief from basic painkillers.
You may need to try different types of triptan medicines before you find one that works for you.
Triptans can be combined with other pain-relief medicines to relieve symptoms.
Your doctor can prescribe strong medicines to help with sleep and nausea.
Some nausea treatments are useful for people who can’t take triptans or other pain relief. They may also help with pain relief.
Many people use natural therapies to help manage symptoms of migraine.
While the use of some natural therapies is supported by scientific research, others need more research to prove their effectiveness.
Note that natural therapies should be prescribed by a health practitioner trained in their use. It’s important to tell your doctor if you use these, as some herbal remedies can affect other prescribed medicines.
Certain supplements may help ease symptoms of migraine, but more research is needed to better understand their effectiveness.
Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of taking the following supplements. Your doctor can also advise the right type and dose to use.
Magnesium may help prevent and treat migraine attacks, especially if you have migraine with aura or menstrual migraine.
Vitamin B2 may help prevent migraine attacks or reduce the severity of attacks.
Ask your doctor if this vitamin might help and how much you can take each day.
This supplement may help reduce the number and severity of migraine attacks some people have. But more research is needed to understand what dose works best.
One small study suggested that vitamin C and vitamin E could help reduce migraine severity.
Research suggests that acupuncture could be helpful when treating symptoms of migraine. Acupuncture and medicine can be used together to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks.
These devices work differently to medicines for prevention and pain relief.
They target the pain pathways that flare up during an attack by blocking the signal from nerves to brain. You can retrain your brain by using the device regularly when you aren’t experiencing migraine attacks.
Note that medical devices aren’t usually listed on the PBS.
Find more information about neuromodulation devices on the Migraine & Headache Australia website.
Migraine may increase your risk of other health conditions. For example:
Talk to your doctor about ways to reduce your risks. They may recommend lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding harmful habits such as smoking.
This information was developed in partnership with Migraine & Headache Australia.
This content has been reviewed by a group of medical subject matter experts, in accordance with Jean Hailes policy.
© Jean Hailes Foundation. All rights reserved.