Question 1

What is a migraine and how is it different from a regular headache?

Accepted Answer

Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of moderate-to-severe throbbing or pulsating head pain — typically unilateral — often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound, lasting 4–72 hours untreated. About one-third of migraine sufferers experience an aura (transient neurological symptoms such as visual disturbances, numbness, or speech changes) preceding the headache phase; unlike tension-type headaches, migraines are frequently disabling and are among the leading causes of lost productivity worldwide.

Question 2

What are the best medications for migraine?

Accepted Answer

For acute migraine attacks, triptans (sumatriptan, rizatriptan, eletriptan) are the gold-standard prescription treatment for moderate-to-severe migraines, targeting serotonin receptors to abort attacks; the newer gepants (ubrogepant, rimegepant) and lasmiditan offer alternatives for patients who cannot use triptans due to cardiovascular disease. For preventive therapy in patients with 4 or more migraine days per month, the American Headache Society recommends topiramate, valproate, beta-blockers (propranolol, metoprolol), or anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies (erenumab, fremanezumab, galcanezumab) — consult your healthcare provider to develop an acute and preventive treatment plan.

Question 3

What triggers migraines?

Accepted Answer

Common migraine triggers include hormonal changes (estrogen fluctuations during menstruation, ovulation, or menopause), poor sleep or changes in sleep schedule, stress and its aftermath ("let-down" migraines), skipping meals or fasting, dehydration, alcohol (especially red wine and beer), certain foods (aged cheeses, processed meats containing nitrates, MSG), bright or flickering lights, strong smells, and weather changes. Keeping a headache diary to identify personal triggers can reduce attack frequency, though eliminating all triggers is neither possible nor necessary — consult your healthcare provider or a headache specialist for a personalized trigger management and treatment strategy.

Question 4

When should I see a doctor about headaches?

Accepted Answer

Seek emergency care immediately for a sudden "thunderclap" headache (the worst headache of your life, reaching maximum intensity within seconds), headache with fever and stiff neck, headache after head trauma, headache with neurological symptoms (weakness, vision loss, speech difficulty, confusion), or new headache in someone over 50 — these can signal serious conditions such as subarachnoid hemorrhage or meningitis. See your healthcare provider for headaches that are new or changing in character, interfere with daily life, require pain relievers more than 10–15 days per month (which can cause medication-overuse headache), or have not responded to over-the-counter treatments.

Migraine

Overview

Drug classes used to treat migraine

Medications for migraine

Drug comparisons for migraine

Frequently asked questions