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3. Understanding Headaches and boiling down what you have

(Video opens with a medium shot of Pratyay, looking directly at the camera.)

Hook:

In our last video, we talked about the “Migraine Brain”—a high-performance system mismatched with modern life. But that raises the most critical question: how do you really know if that’s you?

Intro:

Hey, I'm Pratyay, and welcome to Pratyay's Book Bias. This video is part of our 'Decoding Migraines' series, where we're breaking down the science from the book Fighting the Migraine Epidemic. Today, we're getting practical.

Part 1: Not All Headaches Are Created Equal (25%)

Not all severe head pain is a migraine, and treating them the same is a recipe for failure.

For example, a tension or stress headache is often brought on by excitatory hormonal changes during a stressful situation. There’s a simple test for a sinus headache: if you bend your head forward and the pain gets dramatically worse, that’s a key sign.

And a cervicogenic (sur-vih-ko-JEN-ik) headache often starts from the back of your head and neck. These have completely different causes and require different solutions.

Part 2: The Migraine Questionnaire (75%)

But a true migraine… that's a different beast entirely. It's not just a pain event; it’s a full neurological event that unfolds in three distinct acts: the warning, the main event, and the hangover. To figure out if that’s what you’re experiencing, you have to look beyond the pain and focus on this timeline.

The most important question is: what happens before the pain even starts? This phase is called the

prodrome, and it is a non-negotiable part of a true migraine. It's your brain's unique warning system.

(Shift to a more personal, compassionate tone)

The warnings can be terrifying. They can include:

(Visual Suggestion: A bullet point appears on screen for each symptom.)

  • Affected mobility or slurred speech.
  • Visual or auditory disturbances, like seeing a black spot, blurred faces, or a constant tingling sound.
  • A sudden, odd burst of energy or feeling argumentative, a full rollercoast of emotions.
  • Extreme fatigue and nausea.
  • And increased sensitivity to light, sound, and touch

This period can last for hours or even a full day before the main attack.

Next, ask yourself where the pain is. A primary migraine is always on one side of the head888. It’s a steady pain, not a throbbing one, and it’s never on both sides at the same time9.

And finally, what happens after the pain? Is there a 'migraine hangover' of intense brain fog and exhaustion that lasts for days? That's the

postdrome, another key phase of the migraine event10.

The 3-Point Summary

So, to boil it all down, here is a simple framework. Think of it as a 3-point checklist to know if you're dealing with a true migraine:

(Visual Suggestion: Text on screen for each point)

  1. The Warning: Does it start with warning signs—the prodrome—or does it start with pain? A true migraine starts with prodromes11.

  2. The Location: Is the pain strictly on one side of your head? 12

  3. The Hangover: Do you experience a postdrome phase of brain fog and fatigue after the pain is gone? 13

Call to Action:

I’m curious to know what you discovered. What's the result of this questionnaire for you? What were you diagnosed with in the first place, and what medications are you currently on? Share your story in the comments below.

Closing:

Answering these questions is the first step to truly understanding what's happening in your body. In our next video, we’ll dive into how to use those warning signs to anticipate an attack and what the book says you can do to stop it.

Description: How do you know if you really have a migraine? In this video, part of the 'Decoding Migraines' series, we explore the key differences between migraines and other headaches based on "Fighting the Migraine Epidemic." I'll walk you through a simple questionnaire from the book, covering crucial phases like prodromes and postdromes, to help you understand your symptoms.