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We take a look at the different types of migraines and headaches and what their key symptoms are
Migraines are common and can cause challenges for many people in their everyday lives. According to the NHS, around 10 million people experience migraines in the UK, leading to three million workdays lost every year because of this.
If you know someone who suffers with migraines, or suffer with them yourself, then understanding which type of migraine you are experiencing can help you find the right treatment and live life to its fullest. Although many people get migraines, they are usually very treatable.
Migraines can often be confused with a headache but they can be much more painful than a standard headache. If you’re having a migraine, you can experience:
Depending on the type of migraine you are experiencing you may also:
While headaches cause pain in the head, upper neck or face they can be mild and only happen occasionally. A migraine however, can be incredibly painful and cause someone to experience symptoms that can drastically affect day to day like e.g. dizziness and auras.
It is important to remember that if you are experiencing frequent migraines or feel that a migraine is causing you concern, you should always reach out to your local healthcare provider for professional advice.
Auras can last from around five minutes to one hour long and although most auras are linked to people’s vision, some people may also feel their speech is affected. Rarely, a person may also feel faint or disorientated while experiencing an aura.
Symptoms can include:
There are also other specific headaches that include an aura. These include:
According to Migraine Trust, a brainstem aura occurs in around one in 10 people who experience migraines with aura. Alongside experiencing a migraine and aura a person suffering from brainstem aura will experience at least two of the following neurological symptoms:
Migraine with brainstem aura mostly occurs in adults, although anyone at any age can experience them. Your healthcare professional may order tests including MRI scans to rule out other causes.
During this type of migraine you may feel pain on one side of your head. This pain can often feel like a throbbing pain which gets worse if you move around to the point where you don’t feel you can do your usual activities. You may also feel nauseous or be sick or feel an increased sensitivity to the lights and sounds around you.
This type of migraine can be described as having regular headaches for over half the days of a month and for multiple months one after the other.
Specifically, you could be classed as suffering from chronic migraine if you have a headache on at least 15 days of a month, of which eight or more of these days you would experience migraine symptoms on. Symptoms of a chronic migraine can include:
Common symptoms can include:
This kind of migraine can be very debilitating and can often be worse when you stand or lie in a certain position i.e. if you lie down this may trigger the room to feel like it is spinning.
An abdominal migraine is often diagnosed in children but it can also affect some adults. Usually this only affects children when they are younger and they often ‘grow out’ of this type of migraine as they get older. However, it can also develop into migraines as an adult as they grow up.
It isn’t fully understood why abdominal migraines affect certain people.
Symptoms include:
With a hemiplegic migraine you may experience the following symptoms:
This type of migraine can be very distressing to experience and can often be mistaken for a stroke. Symptoms can last from a few hours to a few days but usually don’t last longer than 24 hours. This type of migraine can be inherited if there is a family history of the condition but this is not always the case.
Unfortunately, these migraines can often be severe and are less responsive to medication. It is thought that as oestrogen levels drop, this can trigger the migraine and that women with heavy periods are more susceptible to this.
Migraines themselves don’t usually mean there’s any underlying problem and most will pass within a few hours. However, if you are experiencing very painful migraines or notice that they are becoming more frequent, then reaching out to your local healthcare professional for support is advisable.
In certain cases you may need urgent support, such as if your migraine lasts over 72 hours, your aura symptoms last longer than an hour at one time or if you are pregnant or have just given birth. In these cases, you can ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 to get advice.
In rare cases of emergency, dial 999 if you are suffering from any of the following symptoms:
If you would like to see a consultant or learn more about migraine and headache treatment, book your appointment online today or call a member of our team directly.
Content reviewed by Circle in-house team in March 2024. Next review due March 2027.