Headache Vs Migraine - My Experience

I often have to correct people and define the difference between a headache and a migraine. (If you suffer from migraines, you've done it a million times.) I usually ask them, "Do you take something for a headache?" and they usually respond with the typical over the counter drugs, caffeine, eating something, sleeping, etc. Then I ask, "How long does it take to go away?" and they respond with anything from 30 minutes to a few hours. I usually say, "Yep! THAT is a headache." A migraine is a different "creature". When I have a migraine a variety of things can occur at one time and causes head pain:

• It lasts for DAYS
• Water drops from the shower
• Any type of light hurts...especially sunlight
• Pushing just to have a bowel movement (I know...TMI.)
• Trying to eat crunchy textured food
• Chewing food
• Lying my head against ANYTHING
• Certain smells make me nauseous
• Closing my eyes
• Brushing my teeth
• Hearing traffic on my street
• Any loud, sudden noise (or continual noise for that matter)
• My teeth ache
• My ears ache
• Dizziness
• Vertigo
• It hurts to cry

I literally stay in my bedroom that has black fabric against the windows and some days I wear soundproof headphones. Now THAT...is a migraine. The next response is usually, "Oh, my God! I didn't know." Well...now you do.