Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentsPreventionCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatments
Prevention
Coping
Migraine without aura is one of two major types of migraines, and 75% of those who have the condition experience this particular kind. Also known as “common” migraine, people who have migraine without aura don’t get the visual or sensory warning signs of an impending headache (known asmigraine prodrome) that are classic to the other type—migraine with aura.
Verywell / Emily Roberts
Thesymptomsyou experience during migraine without aura may not be exactly the same as someone else. Likewise, they can differ from episode to episode.
Symptoms of migraine without aura include:
How serious is a migraine without aura?
Neuropeptides:It is thought that the release of substances, such ascalcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP), from activated trigeminal nerves will trigger migraine pain.
Estrogen:Migraines are also associated withestrogen, which explains why migraines are more prevalent in women. Typically, higher estrogen levels will prevent migraine headaches, whereas lower estrogen levels can trigger them. But it may be more the fluctuation or change in estrogen that triggers a migraine, not simply the fact that the level is low.
Genetics:According to the American Migraine Foundation, migraines are often hereditary; if one or both of your parents have them, you have a 50% to 75% chance of getting them too.
Menstrual MigraineThe relationship between migraines and women’s menstrual cycle is not fully understood, but data show more than half of migraines in women occur right before, during, or after a period.This suggests a link but, notably, only a small fraction of people who have migraine around their periodonlyhave migraine at this time. Most have migraine headaches at other times of the month as well.
Menstrual Migraine
The relationship between migraines and women’s menstrual cycle is not fully understood, but data show more than half of migraines in women occur right before, during, or after a period.This suggests a link but, notably, only a small fraction of people who have migraine around their periodonlyhave migraine at this time. Most have migraine headaches at other times of the month as well.
The relationship between migraines and women’s menstrual cycle is not fully understood, but data show more than half of migraines in women occur right before, during, or after a period.
This suggests a link but, notably, only a small fraction of people who have migraine around their periodonlyhave migraine at this time. Most have migraine headaches at other times of the month as well.
Thediagnosis of migrainewithout aura is based on symptoms and history that you report to your healthcare provider.
According to the third edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, a diagnosis of migraine without aura can only be made when a person has at least five attacks meeting the following criteria:
Take NotesKeeping a journal to record your symptoms and the frequency of your migraines is useful for helping your healthcare provider make a diagnosis.
Take Notes
Keeping a journal to record your symptoms and the frequency of your migraines is useful for helping your healthcare provider make a diagnosis.
Your healthcare provider may also have you answer thePOUND mnemonic and ID migraine questionnaire, which can help confirm the diagnosis.
There is no blood test or imaging test that can confirm the diagnosis, although these may be used to rule out other possible causes, such as a tumor, stroke, brain bleed, and other neurological conditions.
Treatment options include medications to prevent or treat migraines andneuromodulationdevices.
Medications
Historically, migraine treatment was limited to medications that were approved for other uses but were found to be beneficial for helping migraine symptoms. Within the last few years, however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a newer class of medications that are specifically approved for the treatment of migraine.
Migraine preventionmedications include:
Acute migraine medications include:
First and Only CGRP for Acute and Preventive TreatmentIn May 2021 the FDA expanded approval for Nurtec ODT (rimegepant) to include migraine treatment, making it the first medication approved to both treat and prevent migraines. Nurtec ODT comes in pill form and is taken once every other day for prevention and as needed for acute migraine.
First and Only CGRP for Acute and Preventive Treatment
In May 2021 the FDA expanded approval for Nurtec ODT (rimegepant) to include migraine treatment, making it the first medication approved to both treat and prevent migraines. Nurtec ODT comes in pill form and is taken once every other day for prevention and as needed for acute migraine.
Numerous other types of medications can be used to prevent migraines or treat them once they’ve taken hold.
Medication classes shown to help treat acute migraineinclude:
Medication classes shown to help prevent migraineinclude:
People who suffer from migraines without aura are more likely than those who have other headache disorders to develop amedication-overuse (rebound) headache. Be sure to take a migraine drug exactly as directed.
Non-Medication Options
Alternative treatments—including acupuncture, massage, and certain herbs and supplements—may also be helpful for preventing and treating migraines. Furthermore, many find lifestyle measures, such as meditation, exercising,avoiding certain foods, and getting enough sleep, to be an important part of their overall care.
Alongside other treatments, some lifestyle strategies may reduce the likelihood of developing a migraine and improve quality of life.
Get enough sleep.Sleep deprivation is a common migraine trigger.Strategies that may improve sleep include:
Watch for dietary triggers:For some people, certain foods may be more likely to trigger a migraine. If you suspect this is the case for you, keeping a detailed food diary may be helpful. Potential food triggers include:
Caffeine is not a trigger for everyone. In fact, for some people caffeine can help relieve a migraine headache.
A small pilot study found that mindfulness-based stress reduction resulted in greater improvements in psychological symptoms and pain perception than in the control group.Another study showed silent meditation significantly reduced the frequency and severity of migraine headaches.
Migraine without aura can be disabling, causing you to miss work and social events, and making it difficult to care for your loved ones. Because migraines are so prevalent, numerous online and in-person support groups are available for people with migraines, as well as their families and caregivers. Your healthcare provider can help you find support groups and other ways tocope with migraines.
Summary
Migraine without aura can be a debilitating neurological disorder. Symptoms may not be the same for each person and can differ from episode to episode. Fortunately, a variety of treatments are currently available. If you think you experience migraines, see a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
18 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Migraine Research Foundation.About Migraine.American Migraine Foundation.Migraine Without Aura.Adnyana IMO, Widyadharma IPE, Tedyanto EH, et al.Migraine as a risk factor for ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Egypt J Neurol Psychiatry Neurosurg. 2022;58(1):125. doi: 10.1186/s41983-022-00562-xCharles A.The pathophysiology of migraine: implications for clinical management.Lancet Neurol. 2018 Feb;17(2):174-182. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(17)30435-0.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.Migraine.American Migraine Foundation.The Genetics of Migraine.Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS).The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition.Cephalalgia. 2018 Jan;38(1):1-211. doi: 10.1177/0333102417738202.Nurtec ODT (rimegepant).Full Prescribing Information.Allen SM, Mookadam F, Cha SS, et al.Greater Occipital Nerve Block for Acute Treatment of Migraine Headache: A Large Retrospective Cohort Study.J Am Board Fam Med. 2018 Mar-Apr;31(2):211-218. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2018.02.170188.American Migraine Foundation.Spotlight On: Neuromodulation Devices for Headache.Hershey AD, Lin T, Gruper Y, et al.Remote electrical neuromodulation for acute treatment of migraine in adolescents. Headache. 2021 Feb;61(2):310-317. doi: 10.1111/head.14042.Negro A, Seidel JL, Houben T, et al. Acute sleep deprivation enhances susceptibility to the migraine substrate cortical spreading depolarization. J Headache Pain. 2020;21(1):86. doi: 10.1186/s10194-020-01155-wCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.Improve sleep: tips to improve sleep when times are tough.American Migraine Foundation.Diet and headache control.Kachhadia MP, Khalil ZM, Shah S, et al.Role of Yoga as Adjunctive Therapy for Migraines: A Narrative Review of the Literature. Cureus. 2023 Nov 7;15(11):e48434. doi: 10.7759/cureus.48434Simshäuser K, Lüking M, Kaube H, et al.Is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction a Promising and Feasible Intervention for Patients Suffering from Migraine? A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial. Complement Med Res. 2020;27(1):19-30. English. doi: 10.1159/000501425Gu Q, Hou J-C, Fang X-M.Mindfulness meditation for primary headache pain: a meta-analysis.Chinese Medical Journal. 2018 Apr;131(7):829-838. doi:10.4103/0366-6999.228242National Headache Foundation.Light and headache disorders: understanding light triggers and photophobia.Additional ReadingStephen D. Silberstein MD, Michael J. Marmura MD.Acute Migraine Treatment.Headache, 20 January 2015. doi: 10.1111/head.12504
18 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Migraine Research Foundation.About Migraine.American Migraine Foundation.Migraine Without Aura.Adnyana IMO, Widyadharma IPE, Tedyanto EH, et al.Migraine as a risk factor for ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Egypt J Neurol Psychiatry Neurosurg. 2022;58(1):125. doi: 10.1186/s41983-022-00562-xCharles A.The pathophysiology of migraine: implications for clinical management.Lancet Neurol. 2018 Feb;17(2):174-182. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(17)30435-0.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.Migraine.American Migraine Foundation.The Genetics of Migraine.Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS).The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition.Cephalalgia. 2018 Jan;38(1):1-211. doi: 10.1177/0333102417738202.Nurtec ODT (rimegepant).Full Prescribing Information.Allen SM, Mookadam F, Cha SS, et al.Greater Occipital Nerve Block for Acute Treatment of Migraine Headache: A Large Retrospective Cohort Study.J Am Board Fam Med. 2018 Mar-Apr;31(2):211-218. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2018.02.170188.American Migraine Foundation.Spotlight On: Neuromodulation Devices for Headache.Hershey AD, Lin T, Gruper Y, et al.Remote electrical neuromodulation for acute treatment of migraine in adolescents. Headache. 2021 Feb;61(2):310-317. doi: 10.1111/head.14042.Negro A, Seidel JL, Houben T, et al. Acute sleep deprivation enhances susceptibility to the migraine substrate cortical spreading depolarization. J Headache Pain. 2020;21(1):86. doi: 10.1186/s10194-020-01155-wCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.Improve sleep: tips to improve sleep when times are tough.American Migraine Foundation.Diet and headache control.Kachhadia MP, Khalil ZM, Shah S, et al.Role of Yoga as Adjunctive Therapy for Migraines: A Narrative Review of the Literature. Cureus. 2023 Nov 7;15(11):e48434. doi: 10.7759/cureus.48434Simshäuser K, Lüking M, Kaube H, et al.Is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction a Promising and Feasible Intervention for Patients Suffering from Migraine? A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial. Complement Med Res. 2020;27(1):19-30. English. doi: 10.1159/000501425Gu Q, Hou J-C, Fang X-M.Mindfulness meditation for primary headache pain: a meta-analysis.Chinese Medical Journal. 2018 Apr;131(7):829-838. doi:10.4103/0366-6999.228242National Headache Foundation.Light and headache disorders: understanding light triggers and photophobia.Additional ReadingStephen D. Silberstein MD, Michael J. Marmura MD.Acute Migraine Treatment.Headache, 20 January 2015. doi: 10.1111/head.12504
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Migraine Research Foundation.About Migraine.American Migraine Foundation.Migraine Without Aura.Adnyana IMO, Widyadharma IPE, Tedyanto EH, et al.Migraine as a risk factor for ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Egypt J Neurol Psychiatry Neurosurg. 2022;58(1):125. doi: 10.1186/s41983-022-00562-xCharles A.The pathophysiology of migraine: implications for clinical management.Lancet Neurol. 2018 Feb;17(2):174-182. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(17)30435-0.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.Migraine.American Migraine Foundation.The Genetics of Migraine.Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS).The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition.Cephalalgia. 2018 Jan;38(1):1-211. doi: 10.1177/0333102417738202.Nurtec ODT (rimegepant).Full Prescribing Information.Allen SM, Mookadam F, Cha SS, et al.Greater Occipital Nerve Block for Acute Treatment of Migraine Headache: A Large Retrospective Cohort Study.J Am Board Fam Med. 2018 Mar-Apr;31(2):211-218. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2018.02.170188.American Migraine Foundation.Spotlight On: Neuromodulation Devices for Headache.Hershey AD, Lin T, Gruper Y, et al.Remote electrical neuromodulation for acute treatment of migraine in adolescents. Headache. 2021 Feb;61(2):310-317. doi: 10.1111/head.14042.Negro A, Seidel JL, Houben T, et al. Acute sleep deprivation enhances susceptibility to the migraine substrate cortical spreading depolarization. J Headache Pain. 2020;21(1):86. doi: 10.1186/s10194-020-01155-wCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.Improve sleep: tips to improve sleep when times are tough.American Migraine Foundation.Diet and headache control.Kachhadia MP, Khalil ZM, Shah S, et al.Role of Yoga as Adjunctive Therapy for Migraines: A Narrative Review of the Literature. Cureus. 2023 Nov 7;15(11):e48434. doi: 10.7759/cureus.48434Simshäuser K, Lüking M, Kaube H, et al.Is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction a Promising and Feasible Intervention for Patients Suffering from Migraine? A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial. Complement Med Res. 2020;27(1):19-30. English. doi: 10.1159/000501425Gu Q, Hou J-C, Fang X-M.Mindfulness meditation for primary headache pain: a meta-analysis.Chinese Medical Journal. 2018 Apr;131(7):829-838. doi:10.4103/0366-6999.228242National Headache Foundation.Light and headache disorders: understanding light triggers and photophobia.
Migraine Research Foundation.About Migraine.
American Migraine Foundation.Migraine Without Aura.
Adnyana IMO, Widyadharma IPE, Tedyanto EH, et al.Migraine as a risk factor for ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Egypt J Neurol Psychiatry Neurosurg. 2022;58(1):125. doi: 10.1186/s41983-022-00562-x
Charles A.The pathophysiology of migraine: implications for clinical management.Lancet Neurol. 2018 Feb;17(2):174-182. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(17)30435-0.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.Migraine.
American Migraine Foundation.The Genetics of Migraine.
Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS).The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition.Cephalalgia. 2018 Jan;38(1):1-211. doi: 10.1177/0333102417738202.
Nurtec ODT (rimegepant).Full Prescribing Information.
Allen SM, Mookadam F, Cha SS, et al.Greater Occipital Nerve Block for Acute Treatment of Migraine Headache: A Large Retrospective Cohort Study.J Am Board Fam Med. 2018 Mar-Apr;31(2):211-218. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2018.02.170188.
American Migraine Foundation.Spotlight On: Neuromodulation Devices for Headache.
Hershey AD, Lin T, Gruper Y, et al.Remote electrical neuromodulation for acute treatment of migraine in adolescents. Headache. 2021 Feb;61(2):310-317. doi: 10.1111/head.14042.
Negro A, Seidel JL, Houben T, et al. Acute sleep deprivation enhances susceptibility to the migraine substrate cortical spreading depolarization. J Headache Pain. 2020;21(1):86. doi: 10.1186/s10194-020-01155-w
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Improve sleep: tips to improve sleep when times are tough.
American Migraine Foundation.Diet and headache control.
Kachhadia MP, Khalil ZM, Shah S, et al.Role of Yoga as Adjunctive Therapy for Migraines: A Narrative Review of the Literature. Cureus. 2023 Nov 7;15(11):e48434. doi: 10.7759/cureus.48434
Simshäuser K, Lüking M, Kaube H, et al.Is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction a Promising and Feasible Intervention for Patients Suffering from Migraine? A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial. Complement Med Res. 2020;27(1):19-30. English. doi: 10.1159/000501425
Gu Q, Hou J-C, Fang X-M.Mindfulness meditation for primary headache pain: a meta-analysis.Chinese Medical Journal. 2018 Apr;131(7):829-838. doi:10.4103/0366-6999.228242
National Headache Foundation.Light and headache disorders: understanding light triggers and photophobia.
Stephen D. Silberstein MD, Michael J. Marmura MD.Acute Migraine Treatment.Headache, 20 January 2015. doi: 10.1111/head.12504
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