Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by intense, throbbing headaches that often affect one side of the head. The pain, symptoms, and triggers of migraines can vary greatly from person to person. There are several different types of migraine, and it is estimated that about 16% of the Danish population will experience migraine attacks during their lifetime.¹
Migraine is more than just a headache.
For many people, migraines mean recurring attacks of severe pain, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and the need to withdraw from work, studies, or social activities. Some experience a few attacks a year, while others live with migraines several times a month or week.
Although migraines cannot be cured, there are a number of effective treatment options available today that can reduce both the frequency of attacks, the symptoms, and the impact of the condition on daily life.
At Hemi, we help both people who have already been diagnosed with migraines and those who are seeking clarity regarding their symptoms.
Read more about: Migraine treatment
Migraine is characterized by a severe headache, most often located on one side of the head. It is not unusual for the headache to shift from one side of the head to the other or to occur on both sides during a migraine attack.
Neurologist and headache specialist Signe Bruun Munksgaard explains:
"The condition likely arises due to the activation of pain-conducting fibers in the brain's meninges and blood vessels, but we have not yet fully mapped out why people get migraines."
The headache will often feel like a throbbing or pulsating pain and can last between four hours and three days.
The intensity of the headache is moderate to severe and will, for many, affect their daily functioning and activities.
It is also common for symptoms to worsen with physical activity, such as walking up stairs.
"It is very common to have to leave school or work and seek refuge in a dark room", says Signe Munksgaard.
In addition to the headache, many also experience:
Many people are surprised by how much migraine affects more than just the head.
Migraine affects the way the brain processes sensory input, which is why many experience symptoms that can be difficult to immediately associate with a headache.
Sensitivity to light and sound occurs partly because the brain becomes more sensitive to sensory input during a migraine attack. This means that ordinary daylight, a computer screen, or normal conversations can feel unpleasant or even painful.
Nausea likely occurs as a result of the same neurological processes that trigger the migraine attack. For some, the nausea is almost as debilitating as the headache itself.
Many also experience pronounced fatigue and difficulty concentrating. The brain functions differently during a migraine attack, and it is common to feel mentally exhausted, have trouble focusing, or find that even simple tasks require more energy than usual.
These symptoms are a natural part of migraine disease and do not mean that there is anything wrong with you or your ability to handle pain.
Not everyone experiences the same symptoms, and symptoms can vary from one attack to the next.
A migraine attack often consists of several phases. Not everyone experiences every phase, but many can recognize large parts of the progression.
Hours or days before the attack, some may experience:
Many only realize in hindsight that these symptoms were actually the beginning of a migraine attack.
Some find that their migraine begins with an aura – a series of visual and/or sensory disturbances that act as a warning of an impending attack.
These can include:
It is estimated that approximately one-third of all migraine sufferers have migraine with aura.²
Read more: Migraine with aura
The headache phase is the part of the attack that most people associate with migraine.
Typically experienced:
Even though the headache is gone, the attack is often not completely over.
Many experience:
For some, this phase can last for several hours or days.
Diagnosing migraine typically begins with a general practitioner or neurologist, who reviews the patient's medical history and symptoms and performs an examination.
In rare cases, the doctor may recommend further tests, such as an MRI or CT scan, to rule out other causes for the symptoms.
There are four key characteristics used as part of diagnosing a migraine.
At least two of these characteristics must be met:
In addition to the intense headache, there are also a number of accompanying symptoms that characterize migraine.
You often feel unwell and are bothered by light and sound. Furthermore, you may experience nausea or vomiting.
"It is the overall picture of the headache's location, intensity, duration, and accompanying symptoms that forms an impression of whether migraine is the correct diagnosis for the individual patient", explains neurologist Signe Bruun Munksgaard.
Migraine can occur both with and without aura, be hormonally triggered, and is defined as either episodic or chronic.
Most people with migraine do not need a scan.
If the symptoms are consistent with migraine and the neurological examination is normal, further investigations are often unnecessary.
It is important to see a doctor if you experience:
If you are unsure about your symptoms, you can start with our migraine test.
Migraines occur at all ages, including in children, but they most severely affect the 35-54 age group.
Migraines affect women about twice as often as men, which is believed to be linked to hormonal factors, among other things.³
At the same time, migraine is one of the most common neurological diseases in the world.
Migraine is not just a condition that affects adults. Children and adolescents can also experience migraine attacks.
However, the symptoms may look different than in adults. Some children experience shorter attacks, more diffuse headaches, or abdominal pain in connection with the migraine.
Migraines in children can affect school attendance, extracurricular activities, and social life. Therefore, it is important to take action if a child or adolescent experiences recurring headaches or other symptoms that may be consistent with migraine.
If you are concerned about your child's symptoms, you should seek a medical assessment.
Migraine is a neurological disorder.
There is a genetic predisposition to inheriting migraines. If one parent suffers from migraines, the child's risk of developing the condition increases.
The risk of passing migraines on to one's children is likely around 15% to 50%.³
Since women are affected by migraines more often than men, there is a higher risk of passing migraines from mother to daughter.
Some women experience an increased frequency of migraine attacks around their menstrual cycle, which suggests a link between hormonal changes and migraines.
The mechanisms behind migraines are not yet fully understood.
However, various changes in the brain have been observed that appear to manifest in connection with a migraine attack.
This includes changes in blood flow (in migraine with aura) as well as the release of various hormones and neurotransmitters such as CGRP.
Migraine is therefore not something you are to blame for yourself. It is a neurological disease with biological mechanisms, where heredity, hormones, and various neurotransmitters in the brain all play a role.
"Migraine triggers are highly individual. What triggers an attack in one person may be completely harmless to another. Therefore, it is important for each patient to become aware of their own triggers through careful observation and, if necessary, by keeping a headache diary. This can help identify specific factors that contribute to one's migraines," says neurologist Signe Bruun Munksgaard.
Many people with migraines find that certain factors increase the likelihood of an attack.
These factors are often called triggers.
It is important to understand that triggers are not necessarily the cause of migraines. Migraine is a neurological disease, and an attack typically occurs as a result of several factors affecting the brain simultaneously.
For some, stress plays a major role. For others, it is sleep, hormonal fluctuations, alcohol, or irregular meals. It is therefore important to learn your own patterns rather than focusing on general lists of possible triggers.
For many, a headache calendar can help identify patterns over time.
Here is an overview of the most common triggers:⁴
Many women experience migraine attacks associated with their menstrual cycle due to changes in estrogen levels.
Certain foods and additives are known migraine triggers, for example, chemicals such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), tyramine, caffeine, aspartame, and nitrates.
High stress levels can be a significant trigger for migraines in many people.
Bright light, sunlight, loud noises, or strong odors can trigger migraines in some people. Sensitivity to light (photophobia) is a common symptom of a migraine attack, but light can also be a trigger in itself.
Intense physical activity can trigger migraines in some cases.
An irregular sleep pattern (too little or too much sleep over an extended period) can contribute to triggering migraines.
Some people find that intense or changing weather can cause migraine attacks.
Lack of fluids is a very common migraine trigger.
Certain types of alcohol can trigger migraines.
Tobacco products, including cigarettes and e-cigarettes, can be migraine triggers.
For some, other types of headaches can help trigger migraine attacks.
It is important to distinguish between myths and scientific facts when it comes to migraine triggers. While many, for example, believe that chocolate can trigger migraines, some studies suggest that this is not necessarily the case – and that the craving for chocolate may in some instances be an early symptom of a migraine rather than a trigger. It varies from person to person.
Migraine treatment – much like triggers – is individual and varies from person to person. Treatment often involves a combination of medication and non-medical methods.
Medical treatment can be divided into acute treatment, which is initiated during an attack, and preventive treatment, which aims to reduce symptoms and the number of migraine days.
There is no cure for migraines, but with timely and appropriate treatment, quality of life can be significantly improved.
Migraine attacks are managed with acute treatment. This may include pain-relieving medication such as ibuprofen, naproxen, paracetamol, and Treo, which can be effective, and potentially in combination with anti-nausea medication.
For some, standard painkillers are not enough, and doctors will often recommend triptans.
Frequent use of painkillers can lead to medication-overuse headache (MOH) in some people.
Those who are severely affected are often recommended preventive treatment with prophylactic medication.
Treatment is highly individual, and it may be necessary to try several different preparations and combinations before the right treatment is found.
First-line treatment includes blood pressure-lowering medication such as beta-blockers or candesartan. In addition, certain types of antidepressants are also used as preventive treatment.
As a second-line option, the doctor may prescribe epilepsy medication that has proven effective against migraine.
For chronic migraine, both CGRP inhibitors and botulinum toxin A have documented efficacy.
Preventive treatment may be relevant if your migraines are frequent, significantly impact your daily life, or if you find that acute medication does not provide sufficient relief.
The goal of preventive treatment is to reduce:
Botox is primarily used for chronic migraine.
The treatment is administered as a series of small injections around the head and neck and can significantly reduce the number of migraine days for many people.
Internal link: Botox for migraine
CGRP inhibitors have been developed specifically for the treatment of migraine.
For some people, they may be relevant if other preventive treatments have not had sufficient effect or have caused unacceptable side effects.
Migraine treatment is often a process.
It is not unusual to have to try several different treatment options or combinations of treatments before finding the solution that works best.
Migraine is divided into two different categories – with and without aura.
Migraine with aura is characterized by the occurrence of signals before the headache, which manifest as visual or sensory disturbances that gradually spread.
If paralysis occurs as part of the aura, it is referred to as hemiplegic migraine.
Read more: Migraine with aura
Migraine can be either episodic or chronic.
This applies regardless of whether you suffer from migraine with or without aura.
For chronic migraine, you must experience at least 15 days a month with headaches, of which at least 8 must be days with migraine.
Anything that does not fit into this category is classified as episodic migraine.
Hormonal migraine is linked to hormonal changes that can occur during a woman's cycle.
It is common for women to experience migraines in connection with their menstruation or ovulation.
Through our migraine test, you can get an indication in just a few minutes of whether you might be suffering from migraines and how you should approach your symptoms.
The test can guide you toward the right advice and potential treatment options.
If you are in doubt about when you should see a doctor regarding your headaches or migraines, you can read our neurologist's recommendations here.
Take the test: Migraine test
Migraine doesn't have to control your life.
If migraines affect your daily life, work, or quality of life, it may be relevant to speak with a specialist about your options.
There is currently no cure for migraines. However, for many, the right treatment can significantly reduce the frequency of attacks, symptoms, and the impact the condition has on daily life.
Yes. Migraines have a significant genetic component, and the risk of developing migraines is higher if one or both parents have the condition.
A migraine attack typically lasts between 4 and 72 hours, but this can vary from person to person.
Treatment depends on the individual. Some find acute medication effective, while others also require preventive treatment.
Read more: Migraine treatment
Migraine with aura is a type of migraine where you experience neurological symptoms before the headache, such as visual disturbances or sensory changes.
Read more: Migraine with aura
A migraine is a neurological condition often accompanied by nausea, light sensitivity, and reduced functional ability. A regular headache is typically less intense and rarely affects daily life to the same extent.
Read more: Tension headaches
It is estimated that about 16% of the Danish population will experience migraines at some point in their lives.
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