What are migraines?
A headache is a symptom and migraine headache is a diagnosis. Migraine headache is one of the primary headache types. A primary headache means it is caused primarily by your genetics and their interaction with your environment. Therefore, the patient description of their headache and their headache frequency is how one makes the diagnosis. There is a manual or "rule book" for diagnosing headaches called the International Classification of Headache Diseases. It has been updated over the years when new discoveries are made. We are currently on version 3. Patients who see their physician and state they have migraine headaches are correct 99% of the time. Therefore, if you know you have migraine headaches you can go straight to the pages discussing optimum migraine care, oral migraine prevention, and migraine treatments.
Common Migraine Headache Symptoms
Most patients with migraines do not have all or even most of the following symptoms. The most common symptom of a migraine headache includes moderate or worse pain intensity that is throbbing or pulsating and usually one sided. The headache can be accompanied by nausea, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, smell sensitivity, runny nose or sinus stuffiness, changes in vision, and neck pain. Again, most migraine patients do not have all of these.
If you are unsure if you have migraine headaches read the formal migraine diagnosis criteria.
Think you have multiple types of headaches?
Some patients can have multiple types of headaches. If this is the case, life is actually simpler than you and many of your physician’s may think. A very well done study called the Spectrum study determined that migraine patients suffer from multiple headache types including tension headaches, probable migraines and “full blown migraines.” All of these headaches respond to the usual migraine medications and are consequently a manifestation of the primary migraine disease. As a general rule, for the sake of treatment prevention decisions, presume they are all migraine headaches and head to the pages discussing optimum migraine care, oral migraine prevention, and acute migraine treatment. A few unlikely patients (1-2%) also have attacks of cluster headache which is not the same thing as having a bunch of migraines together that some patients and physicians incorrectly call cluster migraines.
How Can I Help My Doctor Help Me?
Collecting real time data on your headaches so that your physician has the proper classification, understands your medication usage, and understands your degree of disability will enhance your headache care. Dr. Loftus designed iHeadache (an iOS App) to perform these functions for you.
Standardized disability forms are used in Dr. Loftus' practice as a way to track headache disability (MIDAS Scale) and usefulness of current acute therapy (mTOQ)
Experiencing Migraine or Other Head Pain?
Dr. Loftus treats patients in Houston Texas and the surrounding areas. Patients also come from outside Texas to see Dr. Loftus. In addition, we offer virtual appointments however, patients must be within Texas when the virtual visit occurs.
