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Am I getting Migraines or headaches?

Hello all,

I really need help trying to figure out if I am suffering from Migraines or headaches.
When I read the symptoms to both of those conditions I have some symptoms from each. Really hope someone can help?
Basically my symptoms are:

Dull achy pain across the whole of the top of my head and it starts to fade once it gets to my forehead. its very painful.

Light and sound exasperate the pain
I feel very tired and drained
Sometimes feel nauseous and hot
It does not go away until I have a full nights sleep
I have no Visually aura symptoms or warnings that it will happen. It just starts with a slight headache pain around the top of my head then gets worse.

I tend to get them during the night, like I will wake up during the night with the headache and fall back to sleep only to wake up with it still there and it lasts until the next night when it goes away after a long sleep.
Sometimes it starts from stress or not eating breakfast. Or if I have dyed my hair.

The pain is like a dull pain but very painful and the fact light and noise make it worse and I feel sometimes hot .and nauseous mean I can not fulfil my daily tasks and have to go to bed in a dark room.

I have had this for about 20 years and I am in my 30s.

Most pain revilers dont work.

Anyone help me figure out if these are migraines or headaches or what type of headaches. I can not be part migraine and part headache, it has to be only one or the other right?

  1. Hi nightevening,

    Thank you for reaching out to us with your question. No, it doesn't have to be one or the other. It's possible to have more than one type of headache disorder (migraine is a primary headache disorder) at the same time. For example, I have chronic migraine, tension type migraine and post traumatic headache.

    Pain relievers are typically not the answer for migraine pain. As much as I wish I could tell you exactly what is going on, only a qualified doctor can do that after he/she gives you a complete neurological exam, goes over your symptoms and discusses your medical history.

    Get in touch with your doctor so you can get an accurate diagnosis, which is important to have so we get the right treatment. Here is more on this; https://migraine.com/?s=diagnosis&submit=Go.

    Let me know how you make out!
    Nancy

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