plural migraines
1
a
: a condition marked by recurring moderate to severe headache with throbbing pain that usually lasts from four hours to three days, typically begins on one side of the head but may spread to both sides, is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light or sound, and is sometimes preceded by an aura and is often followed by fatigue
Migraine affects three times as many women as men.—
The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical AssociationAbout 20 percent of migraine sufferers experience an aura as the first symptom of an attack. The aura may be a pulsing star of light, or a dance of geometric forms across the visual field …—Natalie Angier
Natalie Angier
b
: a condition that is a variant form of the typical migraine but in which headache is absent or not a prominent symptom:
(1)
: a condition in which an aura involving visual disturbances (such as diplopia, scotoma, or tunnel vision) is the main symptom and is not followed by headache
called also acephalgic migraine, silent migraine
(2)
: a condition that is marked by episodic bodily dysfunction (such as cyclic vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, vertigo, or unilateral weakness or paralysis) and may be accompanied by headache
abdominal migraine
vestibular migraine
In retinal migraine, repeated episodes of unilateral visual disorder occur with or without headache.—Sid Gilman
Sid Gilman2
: an episode or attack of migraine
Most patients use a class of drugs known as "triptans," to relieve occasional migraines. But triptans don't work for 20% to 30% of patients.—Tara Parker-Pope
Tara Parker-PopeExamples of migraine in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But they’re also known for their style, their attitude, their mystique: Didion, with her undersize body, her oversize sunglasses, her Pall Malls and Stingrays and migraines, and Tartt, looking like a female Sebastian Flyte, comporting herself like a southern J.D. Salinger.
—Lili Anolik, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
For some, loud music, multiple conversations, bright or flashing lights, and crowded spaces associated with traditional networking events may cause seizures, migraines, and other physical reactions.
—Ludmila Praslova, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
For Dennings, one of the most frustrating things is how little migraines are discussed.
—Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 24 Oct. 2024
The calming action of the vagus nerve is the biological basis for new therapies that aim to stimulate the nerve to quell seizures, relieve anxiety disorders, cool the body’s inflammatory response, and staunch a migraine attack, among a long list of potential treatments.
—R Douglas Fields, WIRED, 29 Sep. 2024
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Lili Anolik, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
For some, loud music, multiple conversations, bright or flashing lights, and crowded spaces associated with traditional networking events may cause seizures, migraines, and other physical reactions.
—Ludmila Praslova, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
For Dennings, one of the most frustrating things is how little migraines are discussed.
—Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 24 Oct. 2024
The calming action of the vagus nerve is the biological basis for new therapies that aim to stimulate the nerve to quell seizures, relieve anxiety disorders, cool the body’s inflammatory response, and staunch a migraine attack, among a long list of potential treatments.
—R Douglas Fields, WIRED, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for migraine
Dictionary Entries Near migraine
Cite this Entry
“Migraine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/migraine. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
migraine
noun
mi·graine
ˈmī-ˌgrān 
: a severe headache often restricted to one side of the head and accompanied by nausea and vomiting
Medical Definition
migraine
noun
mi·graine
ˈmī-ˌgrān, British often ˈmē-
1
a
: a condition marked by recurring moderate to severe headache with throbbing pain that usually lasts from four hours to three days, typically begins on one side of the head but may spread to both sides, is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light or sound, and is sometimes preceded by an aura and is often followed by fatigue
Note: Migraine tends to occur in more than one member of a family and is of uncertain origin though attacks appear to be associated with dilation of intracranial blood vessels and release of serotonin and other inflammatory substances.
Migraine is a common disorder that can severely affect patients' quality of life and daily function. The patients typically have attacks of unilateral, pulsating, severe or moderately severe headache aggravated by routine physical activity …—The New England Journal of Medicine
The New England Journal of MedicineAbout 20 percent of migraine sufferers experience an aura as the first symptom of an attack. The aura may be a pulsing star of light, or a dance of geometric forms across the visual field …—Natalie Angier
Natalie Angier2
b
: a condition that is a variant form of the typical migraine but in which headache is absent or not a prominent symptom:
(1)
: a condition in which an aura involving visual disturbances (as diplopia, scotoma, or tunnel vision) is the main symptom and is not followed by headache
Approximately 20% of migraineurs may experience acephalgic attacks of migraine at one time or another. Indeed, that various symptoms can occur in the absence of any headache has been noted for some time; in fact, visual phenomena were described as early as the 12th century.—Donald M. Pedersen et al.
Donald M. Pedersen et al.called also acephalgic migraine, silent migraine
(2)
: a condition that is marked by episodic bodily dysfunction (as cyclic vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, vertigo, or unilateral weakness or paralysis) and may be accompanied by headache
abdominal migraine
vestibular migraine
In retinal migraine, repeated episodes of unilateral visual disorder occur with or without headache.—Sid Gilman
Sid Gilman3
: an episode or attack of migraine
Most patients use a class of drugs known as "triptans," such as Imitrex, to relieve occasional migraines. But triptans don't work for 20% to 30% of patients.—Tara Parker-Pope
Tara Parker-PopeLynn Goldstein, a dietitian at Weill Cornell, advises patients to remove suspected "trigger" foods from their diet for a period of time and monitor how their migraines are affected.—Food & Fitness Advisor
Food & Fitness Advisorcalled also sick headache
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