Secondary Headache or Migraine- What’s the Difference?

In understanding why migraine headaches occur, it’s important to know the difference between a primary headache and a secondary headache. Where do migraine headaches fit into the equation?

Secondary headaches

Secondary headaches occur as a result of an underlying condition or injury. If you suffer a concussion, have severe allergies, or experience anxiety or stress, it’s not unusual to suffer from severe secondary headaches as one of several side effects.

Sometimes, secondary headaches are the earliest symptoms indicating a life-threatening condition, such as stroke or heart disease.

Causes of secondary headache include:

Anxiety and depression
Head injury
Neck pain
Sinusitis
Food allergy
Infection
High blood pressure
Tumor
Stroke

Primary headaches

Chronic headaches fall into the category of primary headaches, head pain that is unrelated to any other health condition or possible injury. In order to diagnose chronic head pain as migraines or cluster headaches, your doctor will need to run some diagnostic tests to confirm the absence of a tumor, brain injury, or vascular disorder.

Indicators that point to primary headache, including migraine, are:

Family history for migraine
Frequent headaches that have occurred consistently for many years
Chronic headaches, despite having a normal, healthy physical exam
Headaches that follow a pattern
The presence of “migraine triggers” in food, hormonal fluctuations, weather, and other environmental stimuli

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Migraine headaches

Migraines are primary headaches that result from a genetic, neurological disorder. In addition to severe, debilitating head pain, symptoms of migraines also include:

Nausea
Vomiting
Fatigue
Stomach cramps
Eye pain
Neck pain
Dizziness
Disorientation
Extreme sensitivity to light, sound, and scents
Temporary visual disturbances- partial blindness, shifting, bright lights, tunnel vision
Sudden stroke-like symptoms- partial paralysis, inability to articulate words, loss of spatial awareness, loss of consciousness