What kind of headache is a migraine? Headaches can be divided into primary headaches and secondary headaches according to their causes. A primary headache is a headache whose cause cannot be identified by current medical science and technology; a secondary headache is a headache that has a definite cause, which activates pain-sensitive neural pathways in the head. Migraine is one of the most common primary headaches because the cause is unknown and there are no clear structural changes in the brain. The age of onset is mostly between 35 and 45 years, and migraine affects one in seven adults worldwide. People in developed countries have a low tolerance for migraine and a high demand for quality of life, with approximately 25 million weekday or school day absences per year due to migraine. What kind of headache is migraine? Migraines usually last 4 to 72 hours without any treatment, but the frequency of attacks varies from person to person. Some people only have one attack a year, while others have more severe attacks, which may occur once a week or even several times a day. There are four phases of migraine: prodrome, aura, headache and recovery, but the person who has a migraine does not necessarily go through all of them. Prodromal phase: A day or two before the onset of migraine, prodromal symptoms such as constipation, depression, irritability, and most commonly mood changes may occur; Aura phase: Some people may experience visual phenomena (such as seeing various shapes, lights, or flashes), loss of vision, numbness in the arms or legs, speech disturbances, and other aura phase symptoms before or during a headache attack, which need to be distinguished from epilepsy; Headache phase: Pain on one or bilateral head pain, pulsating pain, sensitivity to light and sound (and sometimes to smell), nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, dizziness (sometimes followed by fainting). Recovery phase: After a headache attack, some people feel exhausted, but others report feeling mildly euphoric. What factors can trigger a migraine? Hormonal changes in women’s bodies (such as during menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, and when taking oral contraceptives), certain foods or food additives, alcohol, caffeine, fasting, stress, sensory stimuli such as light, sound, and smell, changes in sleep habits (including jet lag), physiological factors such as strong physical activity, sexual activity, environmental changes such as weather or air pressure, and medications can all cause migraines. If you have frequent headaches, it is a good idea to record the date, time, symptoms, weather, and what you ate or drank that day that was special, especially the trigger conditions above, which can help your doctor make a diagnosis. How to treat migraine? Migraines are incurable, recurring, and usually stay with you for life. Some medications can relieve the headache symptoms during an attack. Medications can relieve mild or moderate to severe migraines, and you should follow your doctor’s instructions for the specific type of medication. If you feel nauseous and are not comfortable taking oral medication, your doctor may prescribe pain medication in the form of suppositories, and some medications are also available in nasal spray and injectable form; in addition, anti-nausea medications can be used as an adjunct to treatment.