Migraine

In Australia, about 70% of people with migraine are women, yet migraine often goes undiagnosed and untreated.
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What is migraine?

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.

Will migraine go away on its own?

Everyone’s experience of migraine is different. Migraine may go away when you find ways to manage the condition.

Migraine attacks may reduce as you get older and they may go away in the time after menopause.

Is there a cure for migraine?

There isn’t a cure for migraine. But you may experience fewer migraine attacks with lifestyle changes and treatments that work for you.

What’s the difference between migraine and headache?

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:

  1. Felt nauseated or sick to your stomach?
  2. Light bothered you (a lot more than when you don’t have headaches)?
  3. Your headaches limited your ability to work, study or do what you needed to do?

If you answer yes to at least 2 of the 3 questions above, there’s a high likelihood you have migraine.

The phases of migraine

Many people with migraine experience different phases.

Who is more likely to get migraine?

You are more likely to get migraine if:

  • you are female
  • a close family member has migraine (i.e. there is a hereditary link)
  • you have experienced emotional abuse
  • you have certain health conditions, such as obesity, anxiety, depression, asthma, allergies or sleep problems.

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.

Migraine and the gender pain gap

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 women. This is partly because of the gender pain gap.

The gender pain gap happens because:

  • women are taken less seriously when they talk about pain
  • women are less likely to be given pain relief in emergency settings
  • women are given less time and attention about pain management
  • women are more likely to be taught that putting up with pain is part of life.

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.

What are the symptoms of different migraine types?

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.

Common migraine triggers

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:

  • stress
  • poor sleep
  • oversleeping
  • using devices like phones, tablets and computers
  • changes in the weather.

Sensory triggers include:

  • bright or flickering lights
  • strong smells (e.g. petrol, perfume)
  • loud or jarring sounds.

What you eat and drink can trigger migraine. For example:

  • eating certain foods, such as citrus, aged cheeses and meats
  • food additives, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) and artificial sweeteners
  • drinking alcohol, partly because it affects your sleep quality
  • drinking caffeine, but some people find caffeine helps prevent migraine attacks
  • missing meals or not eating enough
  • not drinking enough water.

Hormonal changes can trigger migraine attacks. For example, during your menstrual cycle, during pregnancy or around the time of menopause.

Read more about how hormone medicines, such as the Pill or menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), can impact migraine.

Preventing migraine attacks

You can’t always prevent migraine attacks, but you may be able to minimise the impact.

Treatments for migraine attacks

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.

Health risks of migraine

Migraine may increase your risk of other health conditions. For example:

  • cardiovascular disease, particularly stroke, for women under 45 years of age
  • menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes
  • asthma.

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.

Getting a diagnosis of migraine

Getting a diagnosis of migraine can take time. But it’s important to get the right diagnosis so you get treatment to prevent and ease your symptoms.

Getting support for migraine

It can be stressful to deal with migraine, from managing triggers and dealing with attacks to getting the right treatments and support. But you don’t need to do it alone.

Migraine and hormones

Migraine can be triggered by hormone fluctuations. These attacks happen more often and last longer than other types of migraine. They are also more severe and harder to treat. But it’s good to know there are different treatment options available.

Migraine and pregnancy

If you have migraine, your triggers and symptoms may change during pregnancy. It’s important to talk to your doctor about changes in your migraine patterns during pregnancy so you can make a treatment plan. 

Migraine and menopause

If you have migraine, you may notice changes around the time of menopause. Find out why these changes happen, what to expect and treatments that might help.