Migraine

Overview

A migraine is much more than a headache. It is a severe, often debilitating type of headache that can cause throbbing pain in one side of the head. A migraine can last for hours or days. While there isn’t a cure, a specialist can help you manage migraine symptoms and minimize the disruption they can cause to daily life.

Migraines happen in stages:

  • Prodrome: Begins up to 24 hours before you experience a headache
  • Aura: Motor, sensory or speech symptoms which can be warning signs
  • Headache: The migraine headache can last anywhere from 4 to 74 hours
  • Postdrome: Can last up to 48 hours and is often described as a migraine hangover.

Migraine symptoms change throughout these stages but can include mood changes, nausea, fatigue, muscle weakness, light and sound sensitivity and difficulty concentrating, as well as the pain in your head.

At Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, our team of migraine specialists provides multidisciplinary care for people affected by severe headaches. Our aim is to work closely with you so that migraine symptoms don’t take over your life.

What We Treat

There are different types of migraine, and the most common categories are:

  • Migraine with aura
  • Migraine without aura
  • Chronic migraine
  • Menstrual migraine
  • Hemiplegic migraine
  • Retinal migraine
  • Silent migraine (without headache).

The cause of migraine still isn’t fully understood, but genetics may play a role. For some people, triggers such as stress, certain foods, hormonal changes, sleep patterns, weather, medication or physical activity can trigger a migraine.

When you have a migraine, certain nerves around the blood vessels in your head send pain signals to the brain, which releases an inflammatory substance. The reason for this isn’t clear.