Migraine vs. Headache: How to Tell the Difference and Feel Better Faster
Key takeaways:
Almost any type of head pain can be called a “headache.” Migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches are three common types of headaches.
Migraines aren’t the same as other types of headaches. Migraines have different causes, and they need different treatments.
Your symptoms can help you tell the difference between a migraine and other types of headaches.
Almost everybody has headaches from time to time. But are migraines and headaches different? You might be surprised to learn that there are important differences between migraines and headaches.
Migraines are a type of headache. But not all headaches are migraines. In fact, migraines are only the second most common type of headache — after tension headaches. Migraines cause a wide range of symptoms that usually don’t occur with other headaches. What’s more, migraines often cause symptoms before and after a headache.
Being able to spot the differences between headaches and migraines can help you find the best treatments to fight off pain and lower the risk of it coming back.
Common migraine triggers: The exact cause of migraines is unclear, but it can help to avoid known migraine triggers.
Bad headaches can be a sign of something more serious. Here’s when you should get immediate medical attention for a headache.
Sometimes finding the right migraine medication is tricky. Learn about the different types of treatments and strategies to avoid them.
What are migraines?
A migraine is a common type of headache that causes intense throbbing or pulsing pain on one or both sides of the head. But calling a migraine a headache is a bit of an understatement. Migraine is a complex neurological disorder that affects many areas of the brain. Headache is an important symptom of migraines, but it’s only one part of the whole picture.
The effect of migraines extends beyond the physical pain of the headache, as they affect multiple aspects of life. Migraines can interfere with responsibilities at work, school, and within the family.
How common are they?
A global research study estimated that migraines affect nearly 20% of women and 10% of men. They’re even more common between the ages of 35 and 39.
Because they’re so common, migraines are one of the leading causes of disability around the world. Many people have to miss school or work to deal with the symptoms.
How are headaches and migraines similar?
A migraine headache is a type of primary headache. Other types of primary headaches are tension headaches and cluster headaches. Migraines and other types of primary headaches are similar because they all:
Cause pain in the head
Aren’t caused by any other condition, such as high blood pressure
Aren’t caused by an infection, like meningitis
Can be treated with nonprescription or prescription medications
What is the difference between a headache and a migraine?
You can tell the difference between migraines, other headaches — like cluster headaches, and tension headaches — based on the pattern, timing, and location of the headache.
Migraines are different from other primary headaches because they’re a neurological disorder. They cause more than just a headache. Nausea and sensitivity to light or sound are common. And about 30% of people with migraines also experience additional symptoms before, during, or after the headache. This is called an aura.
Here are the main differences between migraine, cluster, and tension headaches.
Migraine headache | Tension headache | Cluster headache | |
Location | Usually on one side of the head, but it can switch sides or occur on both sides | Both sides of the head | One side of the head, around the eye |
Timing | Lasts hours to days | Lasts hours to days | Lasts 15 minutes to 3 hours and happens in clusters |
Headache pain | Mild to intense | Mild to moderate | Very intense |
Other symptoms | Nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light or sounds, and many more (before, during, and after the headache) | Mild nausea during the headache | Red, watery eye or runny nose during the headache |
You can also often tell tension headache from migraine because tension headaches are often linked to tense muscles in the head and neck. Tension headaches are more common and less intense than migraines. In terms of cluster headaches versus migraine, cluster headaches are much less common than migraine headaches.
Is it a migraine or a headache?
If you’re still not sure if your headaches are migraines or something else, here are some questions that can help you spot the difference between migraines and cluster or tension headaches.
Location
Ask yourself where your headache is located:
Migraines and cluster headaches are usually on one side of the head.
Tension headaches affect both sides.
Frequency
Ask yourself how often your headaches happen:
Cluster headaches occur in bunches (or clusters), with long periods of time between clusters.
Migraines and tension headaches happen more randomly.
Timing
Ask yourself how long your headaches last:
Cluster headaches last no more than a few hours.
Migraines and tension headaches can last for days (without treatment).
Other symptoms
Ask yourself if you have any other symptoms along with the headaches:
Many people with migraines experience symptoms before and after the actual headache.
With cluster headaches, eye or ear symptoms happen at the same time as the headache.
Triggers
Ask yourself if anything triggers the headaches. People with migraines often point to specific situations, foods, or behaviors that trigger their headaches.
Headache warning and hangover
Ask yourself if you feel bad before the headache starts or after it goes away:
With migraines, people often notice a pattern of symptoms before the headache starts and after the headache goes away.
Cluster and tension headaches don’t usually cause symptoms before or after the headache.
Things that help or worsen the headaches
Ask yourself if there’s anything that makes the headache better or worse:
Many people with migraines are especially sensitive to lights and sounds before and during the headache.
During a migraine headache, many people find relief by lying down in a quiet, dark place.
Next steps in finding the cause for your headache
If you think you’ve narrowed down your headache, talk with a healthcare professional about treatment options. Each type of primary headache has different treatments that can help stop headaches and keep them from coming back as often.
If you still don’t know which type of headache you have, don’t be discouraged. Sometimes diagnosing a headache isn’t straightforward. Your symptoms might not fit neatly into one diagnosis. Or you might have multiple kinds of headaches. For example, you may have a tension headache one day and a migraine another day. But the information you’ve gathered will help you and your team decide on next steps in diagnosis and treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Other conditions may be mistaken for migraine because the symptoms often overlap. These include stroke, giant cell arteritis, infection, tumor, or medication overuse headache. It can be difficult sometimes to know if you’re having a migraine, especially if you have aura symptoms without headache, or a silent migraine. And if headache symptoms frequently change, other headache types can be mistaken for migraine.
Migraine treatment commonly starts with medications. Both over-the-counter and prescription medications can treat a migraine as it’s happening. But there are medications available for migraine prevention as well. Other migraine treatment options include medical devices, acupuncture, trigger avoidance, and behavioral interventions.
Botox injections can help reduce the number of migraines in people with chronic migraine. If you have headaches more than 15 days per month, you could consider this treatment.
Botox is the brand name for a compound called onabotulinumtoxin A, which is produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. It blocks nerve activity, so it temporarily blocks pain signals or paralyzes muscles. Your headache specialist can help you decide if Botox injections are a good option for your headaches.
The bottom line
Migraines are headaches, but not all headaches are migraines. The three most common types of primary headaches are migraines, tension headaches, and cluster headaches. It’s not always easy to tell the difference between migraine and another type of headache.
Keeping track of your headaches symptoms and patterns can help you tell whether you have a migraine or a different type of headache. Knowing the type(s) of headache you have is the first step to finding a treatment plan that can relieve your headaches.
Why trust our experts?
References
Ahmed, F. (2012). Headache disorders: Differentiating and managing the common subtypes. British Journal of Pain.
Armand, C. E., et al. (2019). Migraine mimics. Practical Neurology.
Burstein, R., et al. (2015). Migraine: Multiple processes, complex pathophysiology. The Journal of Neuroscience: The Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience.
GBD 2016 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. (2017). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet.
GBD 2016 Headache Collaborators. (2018). Global, regional, and national burden of migraine and tension-type headache, 1990–2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet Neurology.
Herd, G. P., et al. (2018). Botulinum toxins for the prevention of migraine in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
