Many people seek to contend with migraine on their own , which can mean lots of hours in a dark , smooth room seek to carry off pain in the neck and other symptoms with over - the - parry medications . The condition can go undiagnosed for long time , stand for the person who has it may miss out on effectual treatment .
[ 1 ]
Although some the great unwashed use the term “ migraine ” interchangeably with “ head ache , ” a migraine is more than that . It ’s actually a neurological disease . A headache is usually one part of a migraine flak , which let in other bothersome symptoms , such as visual disturbances , nausea , and giddiness .
If you regularly experience headaches and othersymptoms of migraine , it may be time to assay a diagnosis . Your basal care doctor can commonly value your symptoms and determine what intervention will influence best for you , but in some lawsuit , you may be referred to a neurologist .
Once you have a migraine diagnosis , you could start the treatment you need .
Ask the Headache Specialist Live
Is It Important to Know What Kind of Headache or Migraine I Have?
[ 2 ]
[ 3 ]
[ 4 ]
[ 5 ]
How Severe or Frequent Should My Headaches Be Before I Seek a Diagnosis?
“ For people who experience migraine once or twice a calendar month and are able-bodied to manage it with an over - the - counter medication such as ibuprofen , it ’s really up to the someone if they need to seek further treatment , ” saysSandhya Kumar , MD , a neurologist and headache specializer at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston - Salem , North Carolina .
If you have headaches more than four times a month and they ’re impacting your quality of life , you should consider look for a diagnosis and further treatment that is specific for megrim , she enjoin .
“ Even for multitude who have more infrequent attacks , say once or twice a month , but they are debilitating , and they have to take the whole daytime off employment or remain in layer all day , that individual should seek a diagnosing andmedical treatment for megrim , ” say Dr. Kumar .
“ We have a passel of medicament we can utilize — not onlyrescue medicationswhen they have a headache , but also preventative medications to decrease the grimness and oftenness of their headaches , ” she adds .
When Should I Bring My Symptoms to the Attention of a Doctor?
“ Any headache that has neurologic sign , such as change in speech or impuissance or numbness on one side of the body , even if it ’s just for one individual headache , should get quick aesculapian attending , ” says Kumar .
If you ’ve been managing your vexation with over - the - tabulator medications oft ( more than once or twice a workweek ) , you should talk with your doctor about your symptom , she say .
“ Using these medicinal drug this frequently can dress you up for what we call ‘ repercussion headache , ’ or medication - overuse headaches , ” says Kumar . “ You really want to forfend this , because it leads to more frequent headaches that are very difficult to treat . ”
How to Prepare for a Doctor Appointment to Discuss Potential Migraine Symptoms
[ 6 ]
Do I Need to See a Neurologist or Headache Specialist for a Diagnosis?
[ 7 ]
[ 8 ]
After a treatment with your primary care supplier , you may resolve to see a headache specialist or a neurologist . Both are specially trained to treat head pain disorders , including migraines .
Personal and Family History in Migraine Diagnosis
There are many different factor that your doctor will consider when determining if you have hemicrania or a different type of worry disorder .
Your Dr. will review your personal medical history , let in any inveterate illnesses you are bring off or medications you take , and also ask you about sick headache in your family .
[ 9 ]
Your physician will also ask about the severity and frequency of your symptoms and how they move your day-after-day life .
Symptoms of Migraine Necessary for a Diagnosis
[ 10 ]
At least one of the succeed symptoms should be present :
When Is Additional Testing for Migraine Needed?
[ 11 ]
sure signaling and symptoms are considered “ red flags ” and not typicalsymptoms of headacheor migraine . They do n’t always indicate a serious aesculapian yield , but they do postulate further investigation . Your doctor may order an MRI or another type of brain scan to rein out other possible causes , such as a brain tumor , aneurysm , or high pressure in the brain .
Some of the rare type of megrim , such ashemiplegic migraineorvestibular migraine , may require additional testing , because their symptoms can overlap with other conditions .
[ 12 ]
[ 13 ]
Your Everyday Guide to Living Well With Migraine
Tests That May Be Used to Rule Out Other Diseases
[ 14 ]
Blood testsBlood tests can be done to predominate out some other disease that can cause headache .
[ 15 ]
magnetized plangency imagination ( MRI)Similar to a CT scan , an MRI can also produce detailed images of your brain and blood vessels to help oneself your doctor diagnose any tumors , stroke , bleeding , infection , or other neurological condition that may be causing symptom .
[ 16 ]
Lumbar punctureIf your doctor suspects that your symptoms may be due to an infection or neurological damage , you may be ask to undergo this routine ( sometimes visit a spinal tap ) . In a lumbar puncture , your doctor will first desex the skin overlie two vertebra ( usually in your lumbar pricker ) , then anesthetize the area with an injectant of a local anesthetic . After that , the doctor will insert a thin acerate leaf into the quad between the vertebra to transfer a sample of cerebrospinal fluid for science laboratory analytic thinking .
Is a Psychological Examination Necessary for Diagnosing Migraine?
A psychological evaluation is n’t necessary to get a diagnosis of hemicrania . But your health care provider may recommend that you get one because of thelink between depression , anxiousness , and migraine .
[ 17 ]
[ 18 ]
Do I Need a Formal Diagnosis of Migraine to Receive Treatment?
If you see most , but not all , of the ICHD touchstone , your doctor may diagnose you with likely migraine , according to the American Headache Society . You may be call for to continue to track your symptom and the frequency and rigorousness of your vexation to receive a formal diagnosing of migraine .
In the lag , depending on which symptoms you have , your caution supplier will develop a intervention plan for how practiced to manage your flack .
Jason Chua , MD , Ph.D. , is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology and Division of Movement Disorders atJohns Hopkins School of Medicine . He obtain his preparation at the University of Michigan , where he hold medical and alumna degrees , then complete a residence in neurology and a combined clinical / research family in movement upset and neurodegeneration .
Dr. Chua ’s primary research interests are in neurodegenerative disease , with a special focus on the cellular housework pathway of autophagy and its encroachment on disease development in diseases such as Parkinson disease . His work has been supported by multiple research preparation and career evolution grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the American Academy of Neurology . He is the primary quill or coauthor of 14 equal - reviewed scientific publication and two compeer - reviewed online learning faculty from the American Academy of Neurology . He is also a kick in source to The Little Black Book of Neurology by Osama Zaldat , MD and Alan Lerner , MD , and has peer reviewed for the scientific daybook Autophagy , eLife , and Neurobiology of Disease .
Becky Upham has been professionally involved in wellness and wellness for almost 20 years . She ’s been a race music director , a recruiter for Team in Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society , a salesperson for a major pharmaceutical caller , a blogger for Moogfest , a communicating manager for Mission Health , a fitness instructor , and a health coach .
She majored in English at the University of North Carolina and has a master ’s in English writing from Hollins University .
Upham enjoys teaching cycling course of study , running , reading fable , and draw playlist .
Migraine
How Therapy Can Help With Migraine
My Story: ‘I Finally Got Diagnosed With Chronic Migraine and Took Charge of My Health’
Migraine Treatment: A Complete Guide
9 Things People With Migraine Want You to Know
Expert Tips on Choosing a Migraine App
Expert Advice on Managing Chronic Migraine
What Is Migraine? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
What Men Should Know About Migraine
Should You Go to the Emergency Room for a Migraine Attack?
Is It a Migraine Attack or a Sinus Headache?
