Migraine

Injury	Diseases	Nutrition	Poison
Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Central nervous system

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Complications

Migraine headache is a risk factor for stroke in both men and women.

Migraine headaches generally represent no significant threat to your overall health. However, they can be a long-term (chronic) problem and may interfere with your day-to-day life.

Calling your health care provider

Call 911 if:

You are experiencing "the worst headache of your life"
You have speech, vision, or movement problems or loss of balance, especially if you have not had these symptoms with a migraine before
Your headaches are more severe when lying down
The headache starts very suddenly

Also, call your doctor if:

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Your headache patterns or pain change
Treatments that once worked are no longer helpful
You have side effects from medication, including irregular heartbeat, pale or blue skin, extreme sleepiness, persistent cough, depression, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, cramps, dry mouth, or extreme thirst
You are pregnant or could become pregnant -- some medications should not be taken when pregnant

See the general article on headaches for more information on emergency symptoms

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Review Date: 11/22/2010
Reviewed By: Kevin Sheth, MD, Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).