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Migraine
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A migraine is not just any headache. It is a complex neurological disorder, with a genetic component, that comes in episodes: moderate or severe pain, usually on one side of the head, often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.
For years it was explained a different way. The old theory held that the pain came from blood vessels in the brain widening; that theory is no longer considered valid. What is proposed today is that several kinds of neuronal dysfunction set off a chain of events in the cortex, in the meninges, and in the brainstem. The meninges are the coverings that wrap around the brain, and they are sensitive to pain. Think of a wrapped package: what gets damaged is not what is inside, but the paper covering it. The pain does not start in the brain tissue, but in the coverings that wrap around it, when they become inflamed.
There are several subtypes. The most common is migraine without aura, and its attacks last between 4 and 72 hours.
In brief
Migraine is a complex neurological disorder with a genetic component: episodes of moderate or severe headache, usually on one side, often with nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.
The old vascular theory is no longer considered valid; what is proposed today is that neuronal dysfunction inflames the pain-sensitive meninges.
The pain does not start in the brain tissue, but in the coverings that wrap around it.
The most common subtype is migraine without aura, with attacks lasting 4 to 72 hours.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingMigraine Headache, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated