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Educator explains how to tell the difference between a migraine and headache Credits: Social Media
By Kieran Galpin

Educator explains how to tell the difference between a migraine and headache

By Kieran Galpin

Though somewhat similar and almost always conflated, migraines and headaches are two separate nuisances with their own version of pain, a migraine educator has revealed.

Headaches are some of the most common health issues, with the pain affecting 96% of people at least once in their lives. Some see migraines as simply more powerful headaches, and while they might be linked, they are two separate issues. As always, it’s best to consult a doctor if your headache or migraine persists.

Headache
Credit: Unsplash/Vasilis Caravitis

What is the difference between a headache and migraine?

Most people have their own remedies ready at hand, whether those be bathing feet in water or piling pain medication until it subsides. However, your first point of call should be identifying which issue you actually have.

Carissa Joy (@sagemigrainesolutions) is a migraine educator who works to provide sufferers with a greater understanding of the condition. She also boasts nearly 2,000 followers on TikTok where she recently posted an explainer.

Carissa started her video with a fun sketch where a friend of hers was suffering from “really really” bad consistent pain across their whole head. Though they assumed it was a migraine, based on the severity, Carissa had news for them.

“It sounds like you might have a really bad headache and not a migraine,” she said. “The level of pain is not a good indicator of whether or not it is a migraine or a headache.”

@sagemigrainesolutions

One of the most common misconceptions about migraines is that they are really bad headaches. However, migraines and headaches are distinct conditions, despite both involving head pain. Migraines can range from mild to severe, as can headaches, which can make it difficult to distinguish between the two. One of the most reliable ways to differentiate a migraine from a headache is by observing how the pain evolves throughout the attack. Migraines often start with mild pain and gradually increase in intensity until they reach a peak, unless treated early. In contrast, headaches usually maintain a consistent intensity throughout their duration. Recognizing a migraine early is important because early intervention can help reduce the peak intensity, preventing the pain from becoming too severe. Understanding this distinction can significantly improve migraine management and relief. How do you normally differentiate between migraine and headache? Has this video changed how you think about headaches vs migraines? #migraine #migraineheadache #migrainerelief #migraineremedy #migrainelife #migraineawareness #migraineadvocate #migrainesupport #migrainecoach

♬ original sound – Carissa Joy

Don’t feel too much shame as the educator said that it’s a very common misconception. In fact, while migraines are known to be more severe, they can also be mild. The same goes for headaches, which can be horrific despite most being manageable.

Carissa continued: “One of the key ways you can find out if it is a migraine or a headache is by noticing how the pain changes over time.

“When it comes to headaches, the pain is going to be relatively consistent throughout the whole headache. When it comes to migraines, the pain is generally going to start off mild and keep ramping up in intensity until it has reached its peak.”

People have their own methods for identifying migraines

Though most TikTok users admitted to guessing whether they had a migraine or a headache, some suggested methods of their own.

“I know it’s a migraine because I lose my vision,” one person said, to which Carissa replied, “That’s a pretty clear sign it could be migraine. You could also get migraines without that symptom potentially.”

Another person said: “When I have migraines I get nauseous, light hurts, and I always feel the pain right behind my left eye.”

“I can usually abort a migraine with just ibuprofen if I catch it early enough but I always gaslight myself that it’ll go away on its own,” another admitted.