There is no medical test that can specifically diagnose migraine. Migraine can only be diagnosed by effectively communicating your symptoms to your physician. To evaluate your headaches, your physician will likely -

• Ask about the severity, frequency, and duration of your headache.
• Inquire about any other symptoms that accompany your headaches.
• Take a detailed medical history, including any medications that you may be taking.
• Give you a complete physical examination.
• Compare your symptoms with the criteria developed by headache specialists who diagnose migraine.

If the headache is associated with flashing lights or blindness, or numbness on one side of the head, it is called "classic" migraine or migraine with "aura." However, only 20% of people with migraine have auras. If you do not have an aura, your headache may still be a migraine.

Finding Relief from Migraines

Thanks to ongoing research and advancements in modern medicine, doctors know more about migraine and have more medications available to treat or prevent them. However, the most important step in finding appropriate treatment is proper diagnosis. Consult your doctor and ask if any of these treatment options may be right for you.

	Note down your attacks in a diary and try to spot any common triggering factors, and avoid them if possible.
	Try avoiding any food which seems implicated and at a later stage take a small trial dose of the food again to see whether it genuinely is involved.
	At the first symptom of an attack take a pain killer (for ex., aspirin or acetametaphin), even if this means waking yourself up when you notice symptoms while half asleep in the early hours of the morning. (Often by getting up time it is too late to abort the attack.)
	There are some over the counter medications which contain a pain killer and a medication which stops nausea and vomiting (anti-emetic). These are often even more effective than the pain killer alone, as migraine is associated with poor absorption from the stomach and a tendency for food and drink to stay in the stomach much longer than usual (prior to being sick).
	Your doctor may prescribe something along the lines of the above, or possibly one of the more modern specific anti-migraine treatments, which work on one of the chemical pathways in the brain.
	For sufferers who have very frequent and disruptive migraine attacks, doctors often prescribe medication to help prevent the migraine from happening. These medications are taken daily to help reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks.
	Sometimes relaxation and meditation techniques may be helpful as may some of the complementary therapies.
	Also, these are some things you can do to have fewer migraine attacks: Try to eat and sleep regularly. Changes in lifestyle can be a major trigger. Do your best to maintain your normal sleeping and eating patterns, especially during stressful times and while traveling. Society is beginning to have a better understanding about the negative impact migraine can have on people's lives. Migraine can interrupt normal routines -- interfering with work, family, or recreational activities. Examining all options, in conjunction with your doctor's advice, can help you get the best results in managing your migraines. To stay on top of your migraines, it's important to see your doctor if your symptoms or triggers have changed. This could mean that you need a change in your medication.