Migraine Diagnosis: Tests, Criteria, and When to See a Doctor

Introduction

What comes to your mind when someone says "migraine"? Just a really bad headache? Nope! A migraine is way more than that, and it can make doing normal things really hard. But how do you know if it’s a migraine or just a regular headache? Well, doctors have special ways to find out! They ask questions, do some tests, and check if it matches certain rules called criteria to know for sure if it’s a migraine. Want to learn how it’s done? Keep reading!

Understanding Migraines: Symptoms and Types

A migraine is a special kind of headache that feels like a throbbing pain on one side of your head. It can last for hours or even days! But migraines aren’t just about headaches. They can also cause other problems, like feeling sick in the stomach (nausea), throwing up (vomiting), being super sensitive to light and sound, feeling really, really tired, or having trouble sleeping. Did you know that about 12 out of every 100 people in the whole world have this? Wow! And guess what? More females get it than males!

Did you know that migraines come in different types? Let’s check them out!

• Migraine Without Aura: It is the most common type.

• Migraine With Aura: What’s an aura? It’s like a warning sign before a migraine! You might see flashing lights, zigzag lines, or even blind spots. Some people feel a tingling or numb sensation, too!

• Menstrual Migraine: Happens before periods.

• Silent Migraine: Has an aura but no headache!

• Abdominal Migraine: More of a tummy problem than a headache.

• Vestibular Migraine: Can make you feel dizzy and off-balance. It might come with or without a headache!

• Hemiplegic Migraine: It can cause weakness on one side of your body.

• Retinal Migraine: Affects one eye and can happen with or without a headache.

How Are Migraines Diagnosed?

You have a headache, and it’s on one side! Is it a migraine? Maybe! But it could be just a regular headache, too. So, how do doctors figure it out? Want to know? Let’s see!

The migraine diagnosis is usually based on the symptoms, medical history, and some tests. When you visit a doctor, they will:

• Ask where your headache is, how long it lasts, and how often it happens.

• Check if something triggers it, like food, weather, or stress. They will suggest keeping a headache diary to track your headaches and triggers.

• Test your vision, reflexes, and hearing to see if everything’s okay.

• Sometimes, they might do extra tests like a CT (computed tomography) scan or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to take a peek inside your brain! Or eye tests to check if your eyes are causing trouble.

Migraine Diagnostic Criteria

How do doctors know it’s a migraine? There are special rules to figure out, called International Headache Society (IHS) criteria; let's have a look!

A. To Be Sure It’s a Migraine Without Aura, These Things Must Happen:

How Long Does the Pain Last? You need to have at least five migraine attacks in your life. Each one should last between 4 to 72 hours (when no medicines are taken).

Type of Pain: Your headache should have at least two of these:

1. Pulsing type of pain.
2. Pain on one side of your head.
3. The intensity should be from medium to very strong pain.
4. Getting worse when involved in activities like walking or running.

Other Symptoms: At least one of these should happen, too:

1. Feeling sick (nausea) or throwing up.
2. Sensitivity to light or noises.

The headache shouldn’t be from another sickness.

B. To Be Sure It’s a Migraine With Aura, These Things Must Happen: Aura is nothing but the warning signs.

You should have at least one or more aura symptoms that stay for a little while:

1. Seeing weird things like flashing lights or patterns.
2. Feeling tingling or numbness.
3. Having trouble talking.
4. Feeling weak or hard to move.
5. Feeling dizzy or imbalanced.
6. Changes in one eye.

At least two of these should happen:

1. The aura should start slow and take 5 minutes to spread.
2. One after another, two or more auras occur.
3. Each aura should last between 5 to 60 minutes.
4. At least one aura should be present on one side of the body.
5. At least one aura should be positive.
6. The headache should occur during or within an hour after the aura.

Tests for Diagnosing Migraines

Did you know there’s no special test to confirm, “Yes, that’s a migraine!”? Doctors do tests to make sure it’s not something else. They may carry out some tests for headaches:

A. Physical Tests: The doctors might do some check-ups to see if your body is working fine.

B. Neurological Tests: Here, the doctors check how your brain and nerves are working. They check your mental status, alertness, reflexes, and sensations.

C. Imaging Tests: Sometimes, doctors might use big machines to check if everything is fine inside your head, like CT (computed tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), or MRAs (magnetic resonance angiography). But guess what? These tests aren’t needed all the time! Doctors only do them if:

• Headache starts happening in a new or different way.

• The headache comes with other problems like blurry vision, confusion, dizziness, or weakness.

• The headache gets worse when coughing or running around.

• Someone has headaches all the time (chronic headaches).

Doctors choose the best type of scan based on what they need to see:

• MRI: Shows super detailed (soft tissues like muscles and organs) pictures. It uses magnetic and radio waves. And there is no radiation! It can find out white spots (inflammation), tumors, or anything that looks unusual!

• CT Scan: It is best for looking at bones, finding internal bleeding, and spotting hard tissue problems. It does use some radiation.

D. Others: Other tests include blood tests, an electroencephalogram to check your brain’s electric signals, and a lumbar puncture to check if the spinal cord fluid is in good condition.

Can You Take an Online Migraine Test?

Yes! You can take an online migraine test. These tests ask you questions about your symptoms and can give you an idea if you might have migraines. But remember, they are not perfect! They don’t give you a real diagnosis. It’s always best to visit a doctor. But, before you go, make a list of questions you want to ask, your symptoms, and any medicines you take.

Trying to figure it out by yourself should not be done. You might not know what kind of headache you have or miss something important. So, always check with a doctor to get the right help!

When Should You See a Doctor for Migraines?

Here’s when you should see a doctor:

• Your headache keeps showing up again and again.

• Super painful headache.

• A headache that just won't go away!

• You are not able to manage the headache or other tasks.

• Makes you super-duper tired.

• If your headache has other symptoms like weakness, numbness, changes in vision, throwing up a lot, or fainting.

Conclusion

Migraines can be a serious troublemaker. They occur due to problems with the nerves that can cause really, really bad headaches. There are different kinds; some come with auras, and some don’t. Diagnosing migraines can be difficult, but don’t worry; doctors can do it! They may do some tests to make sure nothing else is causing it.

Key Takeaway From iCliniq

Migraines can be a big trouble! They can make it hard to do your everyday stuff. If your head hurts a lot, feels like it’s pounding, or only hurts on one side, and it keeps coming back, then it’s time to see a doctor. Don’t try to guess what’s wrong, let the doctor help! They know just what to do to make you feel better!