When It's More Than Just a Bad Headache

Migraines are much more than just an occasional bad headache. If you find your migraines regularly hijacking your to-do list, leaving you unable to play with your kids, get to work on time or socialize with friends at least half of the month, you may have a condition called chronic migraine.

Chronic migraine is a debilitating problem that affects about 2 percent of the population, mostly women. Previously called "transformative migraine," chronic migraine tends to worsen over time. Headaches may start in childhood or adolescence and then gradually strike more often and cause increasingly more pain. People with chronic migraine deal with headaches on 15 or more days a month. Women are three times more likely than men to experience migraines.

What are the symptoms of chronic migraine?

To be diagnosed with chronic migraine, you must meet the criteria established by the International Headache Society. These criteria include the following:

• Headaches—either migraine headaches, tension-type headaches, or both—that occur on 15 or more days a month for at least three months

In addition, you must also have two or more of the following symptoms on eight or more days a month for at least three months:

• Moderate to severe headaches
• Headaches on one side of your head only
• Pulsating headache pain
• Headaches aggravated by routine physical activity
• Headaches that cause nausea, vomiting or both
• Headaches coupled with sensitivity to light and sound

What's the difference between migraine and chronic migraine?

The biggest difference between migraine headaches and chronic migraine is their frequency. People with episodic migraine headaches have acute attacks that last between four and 72 hours and occur anywhere from several times a month to once every few years. People with chronic migraine, on the other hand, experience headaches at least 15 days a month and meet the additional criteria for the condition established by the International Headache Society.

What causes chronic migraine?

If you suffer from chronic migraine, surely you wonder what's behind them. Could it be your third daily latte? Is it fumes from the carpet in your bedroom? Or could it be because your mother suffered from migraines all her life? Researchers are currently looking into why occasional migraines progress to chronic migraine in some people. The transformation may be due to physical conditions, environment, genetics or a combination of all three.