Migraine vs. Headache: How to Tell the Difference

No one likes having a headache, but surprisingly, many of us have to deal with both a headache and a migraine at the same time. So, how do you tell the difference between a migraine and a headache? According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), migraine headaches affect the brain’s tissues, while a headache may affect the tissues of the head and neck instead. In addition, a migraine is a type of headache that can last up to 72 hours, while a headache may not last long at all. So, while both migraines and headaches can be debilitating, they are two separate types of headaches.

What is the difference between Migraine and Headache?

Migraines and headaches are both excruciating and debilitating, but there are some important differences between the two. When someone has a headache, their pain originates in their head and spreads to their neck, shoulders, and back. Headaches and migraines are also very common, affecting at least one in three people at some point in their lives. However, while migraines are triggered by an alteration in blood flow in the brain, headaches are caused by the pressure of the muscles around the head.

Accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and changes in vision, migraine is a neurological disorder that typically has a combination of physical and sensory symptoms, like throbbing or pulsating pain on one or both sides of the head, and can be treated with balance therapy. Headache, however, is a pain in the head or neck that is not usually associated with other symptoms and is often precipitated by an activity or an emotional stressor. Although sometimes, people might also get a headache due to severe eye strain. Working individuals who have to sit in front of a screen for most of the day can be susceptible to this kind of headache. Many such individuals tend to wear blue light glasses in order to protect their eyes from the harmful radiations coming off the screen and help prevent eyesight-related headaches.

The main difference between the two are the characteristics associated with the disease. Migraine is a neurological disorder that causes intense throbbing or pressure in the head. Headache is a general term that describes any pain in the head. Chronic headaches are the #1 reason that people seek medical attention in the United States. As many as 80% of people who suffer from chronic headaches report severe functional impairment. TMJ problems can also be frequently blamed for these headaches (jaw pain). If the pain in your jaw and head is severe, you can seek treatment from a physical therapist to alleviate the agony. Functional Dry needling, soft tissue mobilization, joint manipulation, traction, strengthening, and posture re-education are a few of the TMJ treatment interventions used in cities. A physical therapist in Denver or elsewhere may conduct a thorough evaluation to determine the source of your headache, followed by patient-specific treatment interventions and education to keep the headaches from returning. Other than that, talking about migraines, it can be debilitating and have a significant impact on the quality of life. Those who experience migraines will likely experience neuropathy, numbness, and tingling in the face or hands. Headaches are generally more severe, can recur more frequently, and have a different set of symptoms than migraines. If you are having any of the above-stated migraine symptoms, it can be crucial to visit a specialist (maybe a neurologist similar to dr timothy steel) to get proper treatment. Many people can neglect migraine as a headache, but it can become unbearable and affect your day-to-day activities.

Migraine is a relatively common condition that has been diagnosed in nearly 8 percent of Americans, while headache is the second most common form of physical pain. But what are these two conditions the same? What causes them? And how can you tell them from each other? When it comes to migraines, commonly called “headaches,” there are actually a few different types, defined by how fast they come on, how long they last, and how severe they are.

Migraines and headaches are highly misunderstood in the medical community. A migraine is considered a completely different entity from a headache and vice versa. They are, however, often used interchangeably in medicine. Yet, the terms are not wholly interchangeable. First, migraine is a more severe form of headache because it involves the head and neck, whereas headache also involves the head and neck, but not as much. Also, migraine is typically a recurring problem, whereas headaches are not. Moreover, migraine is typically a more severe form of headache, where the headache is not. Migraine headaches are very painful and affect a large number of people. The most common cause is migraine with aura, characterized by visual symptoms that precede the migraine headache. Auras may include visual spots or blind spots, blind spots in a person’s visual field, or can occur in other parts of the brain, such as the brain stem.

Migraine and headache are two different things, but they are both very painful. Migraine is a neurological disorder that affects an estimated 3–16% of the population, and it is characterized by severe, short-term headache attacks. These attacks are usually unilateral, with pain on one side of the head that may radiate to the other side. Headache is a type of pain (also known as somatic pain) caused by a problem in the musculoskeletal system. It is generally the most frequent type of pain experienced by individuals.