What is a migraine?

If it was that intense and not normal she should see her Dr asap.

on the not so serious note:

its the nickname of most women

a migrane is a really horrible headache that you get and it can make you nauseated amd then you will throwup. then you might feel better. but yeah makesure you watch out for her though.

I get migraines too and most of these answers define them well, however, I’d like to understand the “aura” part that’s been described here. I”ve never heard my Dr mention it except when talking about my seizures, but that’s another story.

Migraines make it hard to drive because light can be unbearable. Lights must be turned off, no noise at all can be tolerated and the smell of food drives me mad because I’m already nauseated. As irrismith stated, when the nausea passes, the migraine is soon to go! I do seem to get what I call “tunnel vision” as if looking through a cardboard paper towel holder. That would be another good reason to not drive.

If anyone else can shed light (no pun intended) on the aura issue, let me know! thx.

I hope I helped and don’t worry, it’s not contagious and usually older people are affected.

You CANNOT catch migraines. They are thought to be genetically passed on. And the attacks last from 30 min (mine) to more typically 4-7 hours (start to finish).

Medically speaking, migraines usually involve visual problems or disturbances. If there is no visual components, it is often some other type of headache, like a cluster or sinus headache. This is because the electrical misfiring in the brain (that Irrismith is talking about) usually occurs in the sight portion of the brain.

My Dad, sister, and daughter all have had migraines since childhood. I developed Ocular Migraines in my 50’s. I get ONLY the visual portions, and no pain (at least so far.) And I’ve been to an ophthalmologist to have this confirmed.

Migraines are not deadly, although the sufferers might wish they were. They can be very painful. Also, your friend knew that driving during a migraine is bad for three reasons. 1.) The pain is VERY distracting,and 2.) she could be highly sensitive to bright lights (common symptom), and 3.) the aura that can come can literally block part of her vision. The last has happened to me, where the center of my vision was simply not there, and I had to have another person drive.

Do not be afraid of migraines. You can be supportive of your friend. And just a note. (This is from my daughter.) If you have a bad headache DON’T claim to have a “migraine” just because you are miserable - at least not where your friend can hear you. True migraine sufferers do NOT appreciate that at all.

there are actually two different kinds of migraine. plain old migraine, and migraine with aura. I typically get migraine with aura. that means, that for some reason (usually not a reason associated with normal headaches) an electrical misfiring takes place in the brain which sends signals to the eyes brain receptors which then causes the aura, or blind spots, sometimes in geometric patterns, sometimes just blotches. but they get larger and after a while you cant see to drive, or do anything for that matter. when I get the blindspots then the nausea follows.you feel pretty nauseous until the headache finally hits. if you happen to take a strong enough pain med during the window between nausea and the headache, you MAY avoid the headache, but usually no matter what you take, it still comes .. once in the headache, puking is the only real relief to the pain..once you throw up the pain kinda subsides for a while, but doesnt really go away until the whole thing has run its course.. in me the shortest one, of course was a full days time, but the longest one lasted 6 days until I felt I was out of it completely. there is nothing pretty about migraines, but if you know the signs, you can usually get to a safe place in time before the headache hits…I hope your friend feels better…

A migraine is a really, really, really bad headache preceded by waves of nausea and bright lights or coloured spots dancing in front of the sufferer’s eyes. The pain is often concentrated behind one or both eyes. The symptoms can last for a long as two or more days. Migraines are hereditary, so if one of your parents gets them, you may get them. For example, my dad gets them if he eats certain types of food, so it is almost an allergic reaction. However, I get them from being dehydrated. When they happen, you should lie in a dark room, with no noise or outside disturbances. Apart from that, there is not much you can do to combat them.