Do you often suffer from frequent, bad headaches that make you sick to your stomach or sensitive to light and sound? Does the pain grow so bad that you have to miss days of work or time with your family and friends? If so, you may suffer from migraine headaches and not even know it. You’re not alone.

“Migraine pain can occur on one or both sides of your head, but what people may not know is that migraine may also be associated with runny nose, sinus or face pain and pressure, and neck pain,” said Dr. Lisa Mannix from Headache Associates in Cincinnati, Ohio. “Because patients do not commonly associate these additional symptoms with migraine, many people may be misdiagnosed. A misdiagnosis only delays pain relief and could lead to unnecessary tests, medications and sometimes even surgery.”

You Can Do Something About It

More than 28 million Americans suffer from migraines and about half of those people are undiagnosed. Women make up the largest number of migraine sufferers. Studies show that migraines affect women three times more than men. If migraines go untreated, they can have a huge impact on a person’s life, often making it impossible to carry on with their daily activities.

If you suffer from frequent, bad headaches, there are simple steps you can take to get the help you need. The first step is to be aware of your symptoms, so you can tell them to your doctor. This is important because symptoms can be different from person to person and attack to attack. People who are able to clearly report their symptoms are more likely to get a proper diagnosis.