Migraine

Migraine is a neurological disorder producing recurrent attacks of moderate to severe headache, often with nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.

Attacks typically last from a few hours to three days and often involve throbbing pain on one side of the head that worsens with routine activity. Some people experience an aura beforehand, such as visual zigzags or tingling, and many notice a prodrome of fatigue, yawning or food cravings hours earlier. Migraine runs in families, affects women about three times as often as men, and is most active during the working years.

Diagnosis is clinical, based on attack features and frequency, with imaging used only to exclude other causes. Physicians distinguish episodic migraine from chronic migraine, defined as fifteen or more headache days per month. Keeping a headache diary of triggers and patterns is a standard part of assessment. Cannabinoids have been studied in migraine, mostly in observational work, and evidence from rigorous trials remains limited.