{"id":6850,"date":"2025-10-10T11:45:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T11:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/?p=6850"},"modified":"2025-10-15T21:34:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T21:34:35","slug":"9-key-signs-your-migraine-is-actually-a-headache","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/10\/9-key-signs-your-migraine-is-actually-a-headache\/","title":{"rendered":"9 key signs your \u2018migraine\u2019 is actually a headache"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\"Tired\t<\/div>
Both are unpleasant, but they’re not the same (Picture: Getty Images\/Maskot)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Migraines and headaches are both unpleasant \u2014 but while symptoms of the two can overlap, they’re not interchangeable terms.<\/p>\n

In a LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor survey, 65% of people said they can’t tell the difference between a headache and a migraine<\/a>, potentially meaning they get the wrong treatment<\/a> or diagnosis.<\/p>\n

While headaches can be caused by a variety of factors, or be linked to existing health<\/a> issues, migraine is a debilitating neurological condition<\/a> in itself, believed to impact around 6 million people in the UK.<\/p>\n

Part of the reason they’re often confused is that migraines can present uniquely<\/a> from person to person, and sufferers may also experience other types of headache separate to (or at the same time as) a migraine.<\/p>\n

But recognising the difference is important to ensure you get the help you need, and also to dispel the harmful myth that migraines are ‘just headaches’.<\/p>\n

Here, Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor<\/a>, shares the 9 key signs that mark out which is which.<\/p>\n

1. Pain quality and severity<\/h2>\n

‘Migraine pain is often throbbing, pulsating, or sometimes pounding, and is usually moderate to severe,’ Dr Wylie tells Metro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, a tension-type headache (one of the most common) feels more ‘like a dull pressure, tightness, or squeezing across both sides of the head and is milder.’<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tAs a migraine sufferer, I wish people understood how scary they are\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
\n

Kristina Beanland, Metro<\/strong> lifestyle editor, has been ‘plagued’ with migraines since her teenage years, explaining: ‘For me, the first sign is what I’ve come to call “razzley eye”, but is actually described by medics as an aura. I start seeing strange lines and shapes, and I loose my peripheral vision completely. This is also when the sheer panic sets in. I know I’m in for a world of pain if I don’t get my hands on some paracetamol within seconds (literally). <\/p>\n

‘Not only are you dealing with the disorientating symptoms, but you’re genuinely really scared too. Even typing this now makes me worried that I’m somehow tempting fate, and it’ll bring a migraine on.<\/p>\n

‘If I can’t pop any pills, the pins and needles start: in my face, lips, tongue and hands. It’s a sensation I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Then suddenly, all these symptoms disappear, and I’m given a few minutes respite before the headache comes in. <\/p>\n

‘It’s completely debilitating. You can literally do nothing but lie in a dark room and sleep, sometimes for days on end. Light, noise, even the slightest movement, hurts. In the worst cases, I also struggle to find my words, and get sentences muddled up.<\/p>\n

‘So when I hear someone say they have a “migraine”, and yet they’re still texting on their phone, typing at their laptop, or simply not looking like they’re about to burst into tears, I can’t help but get a little irked. I don’t doubt that your headache can also feel absolutely awful, but don’t say it’s a migraine when it isn’t. It diminishes what migraine sufferers actually have to go through.’<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

2. Location<\/h2>\n

Although not always the case, migraines classically affect one side of the head \u2014 known as unilateral, whereas headaches are more often bilateral.<\/p>\n

Dr Wylie explains a tension headache is likely to be felt ‘across the forehead, temples or back of the head, or as a \u201cband\u201d sensation.’<\/p>\n

3. Duration and pattern<\/h2>\n

According to Dr Wylie, a migraine attack usually lasts four to 72 hours if untreated, while a non-migraine headache may last from a few minutes to hours.<\/p>\n

She adds: ‘This often resolves more quickly or fluctuates; it is less likely to persist for days in the same intensity.’<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"A\t<\/div>
Many migraine sufferers also experience photophobia (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Associated symptoms<\/h2>\n

The Migraine Trust notes that migraine attacks can ‘be a whole-body experience’ due to the various additional symptoms that come alongside head pain.<\/p>\n

Dr Wylie lists common associated symptoms as nausea, vomiting (especially in more severe cases), and photophobia, phonophobia or osmophobia \u2013 sensitivity to light, sounds or smells.<\/p>\n

‘In \u201cordinary\u201d headaches these features are typically mild or absent,’ she adds. ‘If light or noise bothers you a lot, think more migraines.’<\/p>\n

5. Aura<\/h2>\n

Before an attack, around a third of people with migraine experience ‘aura’ symptoms, which Dr Wylie describes as ‘visual changes, shimmering lights, zigzag lines, blind spots, or sensory symptoms like tingling, pins and needles, or numbness.’<\/p>\n

These characteristic migraine ‘warning’ signals, which typically develop over 5 to 20 minutes and last up to an hour, aren’t experienced with typical headaches.<\/p>\n

6. Aggravation by routine activity<\/h2>\n

‘Migraine pain typically worsens with routine physical activity, such as walking upstairs or bending over,’ says Dr Wylie. ‘Patients often want to lie still in a dark room.’ <\/p>\n

On the contrary, a tension headache or mild headache ‘is less likely to worsen with modest movement’ and ‘patients can often carry on with daily activities.’<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Exhausted\t<\/div>
A migraine may come with ‘warning’ symptoms like aura (Picture : Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. Interference with daily life<\/h2>\n

Along the same vein, the difference between migraines and headaches can be evident in how it affects your daily routine.<\/p>\n

Migraines often force someone to stop or significantly slow down activities like work, housework or socialising.<\/p>\n

However, Dr Wylie says: ‘More benign headaches, though unpleasant, may allow the person to continue (albeit perhaps poorly) through tasks.’<\/p>\n

8. Prodromal and postdromal effects<\/h2>\n

Even if you don’t experience aura, there are a number of other effectsbefore and after a migraine attack that set it apart from a headache.<\/p>\n

The day before the onset of head pain, many migraine sufferers report prodromal symptoms like ‘yawning, fatigue, neck stiffness, mood change, cravings, and thirst changes’ \u2013 known as postdromal symptoms.<\/p>\n

‘More ordinary headaches typically resolve more cleanly, without a lingering \u201changover\u201d,’ Dr Wylie explains.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tWhat to do if a migraine attack strikes\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
\n

Avoiding known triggers helps prevent migraine attacks. If one does occur though, Sheena Bagga, independent prescribing pharmacist for LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor<\/a>, recommends taking three immediate steps:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Lie down in a darkened room<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    ‘While not everyone experiences light sensitivity, or photophobia, with a migraine attack, it is a very common symptom,’ says Sheena. ‘This is why, during an attack, many people find that sleeping or lying in a darkened room can help.’<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Stay well hydrated with water<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Dehydration is a known trigger for migraines, but a glass of water when symptoms start is a good idea too, as it ‘can help reduce headache frequency, severity, and duration.’ <\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Stay off your phone<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Staring at a screen will exacerbate your symptoms, so make sure you try to stay off your phone or computer as much as possible during a migraine. <\/p>\n

        Painkillers may also be helpful. Speak to a pharmacist or doctor for tailored recommendations.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

        9. Frequency and triggers<\/h2>\n

        Migraines often follow a recognisable pattern of recurrent or predictable episodes, coming on due to hormonal changes, sleep disturbance, fasting, certain foods, or sensory stimuli. This allows patient<\/p>\n

        On the contrary, Dr Wylie notes that ‘simple headaches may be more sporadic, or linked to general causes like stress, poor posture, dehydration, or muscular tension.’<\/p>\n

        As mentioned, there are no absolutes here, and you may still be experiencing migraines despite bilateral pain or minimal nausea, for example. <\/p>\n

        Whether it’s a headache or a migraine, Dr Wylie recommends being alert for ‘red flag’ features that require urgent medical treatment, like sudden onset ‘thunderclap’ headache, new neurological deficit, changes in mental state, or headache with fever or neck stiffness.<\/p>\n

        Like Migraine Trust, she also advises using a headache diary before self-diagnosing. Over the course of a few weeks, take note of timing, duration, associated symptoms, triggers and response to medications, as this will allow you and your doctors to work out what’s going on.<\/p>\n

        Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n


        \n\t\t\tComment now<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-preferred-source\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Both are unpleasant, but they’re not the same (Picture: Getty Images\/Maskot) Migraines and headaches are both unpleasant \u2014 but while symptoms of the two can overlap, they’re not interchangeable terms. In a LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor survey, 65% of people said they can’t tell the difference between a headache and a migraine, potentially meaning they get […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6852,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6850"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6850"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6850\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6856,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6850\/revisions\/6856"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}