Migraine vs. Headache: What's the Difference?

"It's just a headache" – a phrase that migraine sufferers have heard too many times. But the truth is that migraines and regular headaches are completely different conditions. Understanding these differences is the first step to getting the right treatment.

Tension headaches: the most common

Tension headaches are the most common type. They are characterized by:

• Mild to moderate pain.
• Feeling of pressure or a tight band around the head.
• Affects both sides of the head.
• Not aggravated by physical activity.
• Does not usually cause nausea or photosensitivity.

Migraine: a neurological disease

Migraine is completely different. It is a neurological condition with clear symptoms:

• Moderate to severe pain, often paralyzing.
• Pulsating or throbbing pain.
• Usually affects one side of the head.
• Worsened by routine physical activity.
• Nausea and/or vomiting.
• Extreme sensitivity to light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia).
• Can last for 4 to 72 hours if left untreated.

The phases of migraine

Unlike regular headaches, migraines have distinct phases:

1. Prodrome (hours or days before): Mood swings, food cravings, neck stiffness, frequent yawning.
2. Aura (20-60 minutes before, not always): Visual disturbances, tingling, difficulty speaking.
3. Headache (4-72 hours): The most intense phase with all the characteristic symptoms.
4. Postdrome (up to 48 hours after): Fatigue, confusion, weakness – the migraine "hangover".

How do you know if it's a migraine?

If you experience at least 5 episodes of headaches with these characteristics, you probably have migraines:

• Duration 4-72 hours.
• At least two of: unilateral, pulsatile, moderate/severe, worsened by activity.
• At least one of: nausea/vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia.

If you recognize yourself in these symptoms, you are not alone. There are effective treatments that can change your life. Relivia uses clinically proven neurostimulation technology to prevent and treat migraine attacks.