Migraine

A migraine is more than a bad headache. Migraine symptoms include throbbing pain, often on one side, plus nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. An attack can last hours to days.

What Is It

A migraine is a neurological condition that causes repeated attacks of moderate to severe head pain. It often runs in families and is about three times more common in women. Common triggers include stress, poor sleep, skipped meals, hormone changes, alcohol, bright lights, and weather changes.

Symptoms

Throbbing or pulsing pain, often on one side
Nausea or vomiting
Sensitivity to light, sound, or smells
Pain that gets worse with movement
An aura before the pain, such as flashing lights, zigzag lines, or tingling
Feeling drained for a day afterward

An attack usually lasts 4 to 72 hours.

Not sure it’s a migraine? A tension headache feels like steady pressure, without nausea or light sensitivity. An aura with weakness on one side, or the worst headache of your life, needs the ER.

Treatment

At your visit: A provider confirms it is a migraine and checks for warning signs. An attack that will not break can often be treated, including the nausea. Medicine taken at the first sign of an attack helps many people. Frequent migraines may need a neurologist.

At home:

Take your migraine medicine at the first sign of an attack
Rest in a dark, quiet room
Put a cold pack on your forehead or neck
Sip fluids, especially after vomiting

A headache diary helps you spot your triggers. Regular sleep, meals, and fluids lower how often attacks happen.

When to Get Care for a Migraine

Watch at Home

A typical migraine like your usual ones
Your usual medicine is working
You can keep fluids down

Come to Urgent Care Today

A migraine not responding to your usual medicine
An attack lasting more than a day
Vomiting that makes it hard to keep fluids down
Migraines happening more often than usual
Frequent headaches you think are migraines but have never had checked

Go to the Emergency Department

The worst headache of your life, or one that peaks within a minute
Weakness, numbness, or drooping on one side of the face or body
Trouble speaking, confusion, or vision loss that does not clear
A headache with fever and a stiff neck
An aura that lasts more than an hour

FAQ

What are the first signs of a migraine?

The first signs of a migraine can start a day before the pain, with yawning, neck stiffness, mood changes, or food cravings. Some people then get an aura, such as flashing lights or zigzag lines.

How long does a migraine last?

A migraine attack usually lasts 4 to 72 hours. Many people feel tired and foggy for up to a day afterward.

What is the difference between a migraine and a headache?

A migraine is a throbbing, often one sided pain with nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. A tension headache is a steady, dull pressure without those extra symptoms.

Why do migraines cause nausea?

Migraines cause nausea because the attack affects the parts of the brain that also control digestion. Nausea and vomiting are common, so some migraine medicine comes as a dissolving tablet or nasal spray.

Can urgent care treat a migraine?

Yes, urgent care can treat a migraine attack that will not break with home medicine. At Vitality Urgent Care, a provider can check for warning signs and discuss treatment.

When is a migraine an emergency?

A migraine is an emergency when it is the worst headache of your life, comes with weakness, numbness, trouble speaking, or confusion, or comes with fever and a stiff neck. Call 911 for these symptoms.

Last reviewed October 2026