What are the symptoms of a migraine?

Some people experience what is known as an aura or prodrome shortly before the pain starts. During this time, symptoms seemingly unrelated to a headache may occur. These symptoms include changes in mood, feeling nauseous, seeing shimmering or flashing lights, and even having blind spots. According to leading migraine experts, treating your migraine before symptoms become severe may help to reduce the severity of the migraine, and is a highly recommended approach.

Still not sure if it is really a migraine? It can be difficult, but if you check below, you'll be able to use this chart to see which type of headache seems the most like yours.

Migraine	Tension
Moderate-to-severe pain that is throbbing or pulsing	Mild to moderate, steady pain
Pain, usually on one side of your head, that may be concentrated around the eye, temple, or behind the ear	Pain felt on front, sides, and back of head, possibly spreading to the neck
Pain that is aggravated by movement	General feeling of tightness or stiffness, perhaps like a very tight band around the head
Nausea and vomiting
Sensitivity to light, sound, or smell

Although the exact cause of migraines is not yet understood by doctors, there are certain things that can trigger a migraine headache. Physiological, emotional and environmental factors can bring one on. These include:

• Stress
• Lack of sleep or fatigue
• Hormonal changes
• Missing a meal
• Changes in barometric pressure or altitude

Certain foods can also be triggers, such as:

• Alcohol, particularly red wine
• Chocolate
• Food additives such as nitrates and nitrites
• Caffeine

Not everyone will react to all of these triggers. You may react to one or none at all. The trick is finding out what your triggers are.

Keeping a headache diary may help you figure out what triggers your migraines. The diary should list what you eat, what other factors were present (like stress, not sleeping well the night before, etc.), and when your headaches occur. Keep in mind that a headache can start almost immediately after a trigger, or happen a day later. If you keep a headache diary for any length of time, a pattern will most likely begin to develop.

Once you've got a migraine, the only thing you want is for the pain to stop. There are many prescription treatments available from your doctor, but you may be surprised to know that you can get effective pain relief without a prescription.

Advil® Migraine is a way for you to treat the pain of migraine. It's the first and only FDA-approved migraine product in a liquid-filled capsule, with all the pain-relieving power you expect from Advil. It gets into your system fast. Advil Migraine lets you start controlling your migraines before they control you.

After you know what causes your headaches, you can take steps to help prevent them. For instance, if you're getting frequent migraines and know that stress is the culprit, take positive steps to reduce the stress in your life. Stress management techniques, such as meditation or biofeedback, can help. And don't forget exercise—it's a great stress reducer.

Lifestyle changes can also help. Try to eat regularly and get enough rest. If you have to sit at a desk for long periods of time, get up and stretch. Not only will you be relieving stress, but taking a break can give your mind time to refuel a bit, so you can go back and give your full attention to the job at hand.