People who suffer from intermittent attacks of migraine know the symptoms all too well, the inconvenience of unexpected attacks, the frustration of “cures” that have not worked, and the expense of lost work and healthcare.

Understanding migraine – the different types, the symptoms, and the possible causes -gives you the knowledge to deal more effectively with your condition.

Migraine is a condition that can affect anyone at any time. Some people are more likely to experience migraine attacks than others but, if the right mix of conditions come together, almost anyone can experience a migraine. It is a condition that affects not just you and your quality of life but your family and friends and colleagues as well. How often have you had to miss a family party, not been able to make an important meeting, had to go to bed early or lost the first three days of your holiday just because of your migraine? By its very nature, migraine is unpredictable. We all like to feel in control of our lives but migraine can strike at any time and often at the most inopportune time. The more you, as an individual, understand about your migraine and how it affects you, the greater chance you have of being able to control your migraine. Or at least feel in control of it some of the time if not all of the time.

 2. 1 Defining migraine

Headaches are not always easy to label. The same person may experience more than one type of headache. One type of headache may develop and evolve over time to a different sort of headache. So it can be quite challenging for any doctor – expert or not – to decide exactly what your headache is at the initial consultation or assessment.

Different headaches are identified and separated by the nature, description, site and severity of the pain as well as the wide range of symptoms associated with the pain. In crude terms, it is about pattern recognition – but there are exceptions to every rule and not all the patterns fit neatly in to the available ‘diagnostic boxes’.

There are many ‘primary’ headaches that are not migraine, tension type headaches or cluster headache. They are not very common but are included in this course so that, if you have these symptoms, you may be able to identify and diagnose the headache.

There are also headaches that are ‘secondary’ headache – the result of exposure to a substance or when that substance is removed.

Stabs, Jolts, Exertional and other Sudden Onset or Severe Headaches