As you may know, there are many types of migraines, from migraine equivalents, to digestive migraines, even migraine auras without headache. But the most common type is a headache migraine, or migraine headache. Let's review headache migraine symptoms, and then I'll suggest some links for more info and treatments.

Most headache migraines go undiagnosed. Even though 18% of women and 6% of men get migraines, 59% of women's migraine headaches and 71% of men's go undiagnosed.

The first headache migraine symptom is, of course, headache, which happens one or two times per month. There are migraine symptoms that precede the headache by up to 24 hours, including: excitability, irritability, increased appetite and cravings (especially sweets), depression, sleepiness, fatigue, yawning, and increase sensitivity to your environment (sights, sounds, smells, etc.).

The headache migraine includes these symptoms: lasts for from 4 to 72 hours, may be one sided, may be throbbing, may be dull achey.

The headache migraine often comes with these symptoms: 56% of men and 82% of women get nausea or vomiting; 25% of men and 53% of women get sensitive to sound or light. My experience is that along with the digestive symptoms comes fatigue.. and that if there is sleepiness, I'm more likely to be dizzy or confused.

If you're not sure if your headache is a migraine headache or not, you may need to see a doctor. But if your parents (especially your mom) had migraines, chances are higher that your headache is a migraine.

It's sometimes hard to differentiate, because a tension or sinus headache can activate a migraine headache. So, just because it started with one, or you have symptoms of it, doesn't mean you don't also have migraine. Those associated symptoms listed above will help you consider it.

As I've noted in other articles, I am an alternative medicine practitioner who gets migraines myself. We have a number of other articles for you to read to understand your headache migraine symptoms and how to deal with and prevent migraine headaches. Look in the column to the left for those links.

:-)