Migraine Headaches

Diagnosis

Migraine headaches are diagnosed based on the presence of certain symptoms as outlined by the International Headache Society. These criteria assist physicians in distinguishing migraine headache from the other most common headache types: tension and cluster.

A diagnosis of migraine headache may be determined if a patient has at least five attacks that meet the following criteria:

• Headache attacks that last four to 72 hours (untreated or unsuccessfully treated)
• Headache that has two of the following characteristics:
  • Unilateral site
  • Pulsating quality
  • Moderate to severe intensity
  • Aggravation by walking stairs or similar routine physical activity
• During headache, at least one of the following symptoms:
  • Nausea or vomiting (or both)
  • Photophobia and phonophobia (unusual sensitivity to light and sound)
  • No evidence of another related disease