Chronic Migraine
Chronic migraine means having headaches on 15 or more days a month, with migraine features on many of them. A pain-management and preventive approach can reduce how often and how badly attacks strike.
Causes & risk factors
- A genetic tendency to migraine
- Frequent attacks becoming chronic over time
- Overuse of painkillers (medication-overuse headache)
- Poor sleep, stress and skipped meals
- Hormonal changes
- Untreated frequent migraine
Common symptoms
Tests & diagnosis
Treatment & management
- Preventive medicines to reduce attack frequency
- Treating acute attacks early, without overusing painkillers
- Identifying and managing triggers
- Regular sleep, meals, hydration and stress management
- Specialist options such as certain injections for chronic migraine
When to see a doctor urgently
- A sudden "worst-ever" thunderclap headache — call your local emergency number now
- Headache with weakness, confusion, slurred speech or vision loss — call your local emergency number now
- A new headache with fever and a stiff neck
- Needing painkillers on most days, or a change in headache pattern
Not a diagnosis. MedDroid gives general educational information about chronic migraine. It cannot examine you, diagnose or prescribe — always confirm with a qualified doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Can taking too many painkillers make headaches worse?
Yes. Using painkillers or migraine medicines too often can cause medication-overuse headache, creating a cycle of frequent headaches. Managing this with a specialist is an important part of treatment.
What helps chronic migraine?
A preventive plan is key: regular preventive medicine, treating attacks early but not too often, managing triggers, and keeping steady sleep and meals. Specialist treatments are available for difficult cases.
Explore more
MedDroid is an AI medical assistant and can make mistakes. It provides general health information, not a diagnosis or medical advice — always consult a qualified clinician. In an emergency, contact your local emergency number immediately.