Migraine: Symptoms, Triggers and Treatment That Actually Helps

A migraine is not just a bad headache. It is a neurological condition that can knock you out for hours or even days, and it often arrives with nausea, sensitivity to light and a pounding pain that makes it hard to work, study or look after the family. Millions of people live with it, most of them women between 20 and 50. The good news is that once you understand your own pattern, migraine becomes much easier to manage.

How migraine feels

Migraine pain is typically throbbing or pulsing and sits on one side of the head, though it can be on both. An attack usually builds over a few hours and, without treatment, lasts anywhere from 4 to 72 hours. Along with the headache, people commonly have:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Discomfort in bright light, loud noise or strong smells
• Pain that gets worse when walking, climbing stairs or bending over
• A wish to lie down in a dark, quiet room

About one in four people also get an aura before the headache. This can be flashing lights, zigzag lines, blind spots, tingling in the face or hand, or trouble finding words. An aura usually fades within an hour.

Migraine or tension headache?

The two are often confused. A tension headache feels like a tight band around the whole head, is mild to moderate, and does not usually bring nausea or sensitivity to light. A migraine is stronger, more often one-sided, and forces you to stop what you are doing. If you keep needing to lie down during headaches, it is worth asking your doctor about migraine.

Common migraine triggers

Triggers differ from person to person, but these come up again and again:

• Skipping meals or fasting for long hours (many people get a headache in the last hours before iftar)
• Not drinking enough water, especially in hot weather
• Too little or too much sleep
• Stress, and the “let-down” after a stressful week
• Bright sunlight, screen glare or flickering lights
• Strong perfumes, smoke or cooking fumes
• Hormonal changes around periods
• Too much tea or coffee, or suddenly cutting it out
• Foods such as aged cheese, processed meats or chocolate for some people

Try keeping a simple headache diary for a month. Note the date, time, food, sleep, stress and weather. Patterns often become clear within a few weeks.

What to do when an attack starts

1. Take your treatment early. Painkillers work best in the first hour, before the pain peaks.
2. Rest in a dark, quiet room and place a cool cloth on your forehead or neck.
3. Sip water, and eat something light if you can.
4. If you vomit or feel very sick, ask your doctor about an anti-nausea medicine, which also helps the painkiller absorb.

For mild to moderate attacks, paracetamol or an anti-inflammatory painkiller such as ibuprofen or naproxen, taken with food, often helps. For stronger attacks, doctors may prescribe a migraine-specific medicine such as sumatriptan. These are not suitable for everyone, particularly people with heart disease or uncontrolled high blood pressure, so use them only on a doctor’s advice.

Beware of medication-overuse headache

This is one of the most common mistakes. Taking painkillers on more than about 10 to 15 days a month can make headaches more frequent and harder to treat. If you find yourself reaching for tablets every other day, that is a sign to see a doctor rather than to take more.

Preventing migraine

• Eat at regular times and do not skip breakfast
• Drink water through the day
• Keep a steady sleep schedule, even on weekends
• Exercise lightly, such as a daily walk or stretching
• Take screen breaks and use brightness settings that suit your eyes
• Manage stress with breathing exercises or prayer-time pauses

If you have four or more migraine days a month, or attacks that do not respond to treatment, a doctor can prescribe daily preventive medicines. These take a few weeks to work and need proper follow-up.

Red flags: see a doctor urgently

• A sudden, explosive headache, the worst of your life
• Headache with fever and a stiff neck
• Weakness, numbness, slurred speech or confusion that does not fade
• Headache after a blow to the head
• A new type of headache after the age of 50
• Headaches that keep getting worse over weeks

Key takeaways

• Migraine is usually a one-sided, throbbing headache with nausea and sensitivity to light or sound.
• Common triggers include skipped meals, dehydration, poor sleep and stress.
• Treat early, and do not use painkillers on more than 10 to 15 days a month.
• Sudden severe headaches or headaches with weakness need urgent care.

Related medicines on Medimart

These medicines are commonly used for migraine. Which one suits you depends on how often and how severely attacks occur:

• Sumatriptan: a migraine-specific medicine for attacks
• Paracetamol: for mild to moderate pain
• Naproxen: an anti-inflammatory painkiller, taken with food
• Domperidone: for nausea and vomiting during an attack
• Metoclopramide: also used for nausea and to help painkillers absorb
• Propranolol: a daily preventive medicine prescribed by doctors
• Topiramate: another preventive option for frequent attacks
• Flunarizine: a preventive medicine used for migraine

Prescription medicines are supplied only against a valid prescription. Please take them only as advised by your doctor.

Explore migraine medicines and care products on Medimart with delivery across Pakistan. Prescription medicines are supplied only against a valid prescription.

This guide is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor. If your headaches are frequent or severe, please get them checked.