Headache or Migraine: How to Tell the Difference and When to Seek Help
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April 14, 2025 | Tags:
When you feel a familiar throbbing in your head, it can be tough to tell if it's a headache or something more serious like a migraine.
Does the pain feel dull or pounding? Is it located on one side of your head? Are you sensitive to light or sound?
Since headaches and migraines share similar symptoms, understanding the difference can give you valuable insight into your health, help identify potential triggers and indicate when to talk to your doctor.
What is a headache?
A headache is a pain located in your head or face, which can feel throbbing, constant, sharp or dull. This pain occurs when the nerves in your blood vessels send signals to your brain, causing inflammation.
Headaches are common and usually not serious or a sign of another health condition, according to the Cleveland Clinic. They are categorized as primary or secondary:
Primary Headache: Caused by overactivity or issues with pain-sensitive parts of your head and aren't linked to an underlying disease or medical condition. Some types are cluster headaches, tension headaches and migraines.
Triggers for primary headaches include:
- Alcohol (specifically red wine)
- Exertion
- Hunger
- Lack of sleep
- Nicotine
Secondary Headache: Caused by and is considered a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Types include sinus headaches, dehydration headache and thunderclap headache.
Triggers for can vary greatly in severity and some can be signs of serious medical conditions, like a head injury or brain bleed.
What is a migraine?
A migraine is an intense headache that typically affects one side of your head and can also cause pain around your face, sinuses, jaw or neck. They are often accompanied by a throbbing, pulsing, pounding or dull pain that ranges from mild to severe.
An Assistant Medical Director at Medical Mutual noted that migraines most often being at the onset of puberty and are more common in women than in men.
Migraines often occur with or without an aura - a series of sensory disturbances that act as your brain's warning signal before a migraine start - and come in four phases:
- Prodrome: Occurs 24-48 hours before a migraine starts. You can experience mood changes, fatigue, trouble sleeping, increased hunger and thirst and difficulty concentrating.
- Aura: Can occur within minutes or up to an hour before or during a migraine attack.
- Headache: A migraine can last between four and 72 hours with symptoms including nausea, vomiting and sensitivity sound, light, smells and sometimes touch.
- Postdrome: The aftermath of a migraine attack, which can include feelings of fatigue, stiff neck, dizziness and trouble focusing.
Migraines can have many triggers, like:
- Stress
- Hormonal changes
- Eating certain foods or missing a meal
- Changes in the weather
- Caffeine or tobacco use or withdrawal
- Exposure to light, loud sounds or strong odors
Identifying what triggers a migraine or headache can help you prevent or anticipate their onset.
When to talk with a provider
Headaches and migraines can be painful and disruptive to your daily life. Talk to your primary care provider (PCP) if you experience one or more headaches a week, take pain relievers almost daily or experience new or worsening symptoms with a history of headaches or migraines.
If possible, keep track of how you feel when experiencing a headache or migraine, like how your pain feels, possible triggers, and how long symptoms last, as this information may help your PCP diagnose and treat you.
If you don't have a PCP, Medical Mutual can help. Use the Find a Provider tool to find a PCP in your plan's network or call the Customer Care number on your member ID card.