Migraine is a neurological syndrome that can cause a wide range of symptoms during an attack. The most commonly thought of symptom are headaches.
Usually, migraines cause episodes of severe or moderate headache (which is often one-sided and pulsating) lasting from four to 72 hours, accompanied by gastrointestinal upsets, such as nausea and vomiting, and a heightened sensitivity to bright lights (photophobia) and noise (hyperacusis). Approximately one third of people who experience migraine get a preceding aura, in which a patient senses a strange light or unpleasant smell.
Origin[]
The word migraine is French in origin and comes from the Greek hemicrania, as does the Old English term megrim. Literally, hemicrania means "half (the) head".