Migraine rarely travels alone. Knowing about common companions helps you and your care team see the whole picture.

Dizziness and vertigo

Dizziness is very common in migraine, and vestibular migraine is a leading cause of recurring vertigo ^1,2. People with migraine often report more dizziness-related disability than people without it ³.

The autonomic nervous system

The autonomic nervous system runs heart rate, blood pressure and digestion automatically. People with migraine show differences in autonomic function ⁴, and fainting is more common in people with migraine ⁵. This overlaps with conditions like POTS, which Harcourt Brain Center also treats.

Sleep disorders

Insomnia and other sleep problems are much more common in people with migraine, and poor sleep is linked to more frequent attacks ⁶.

Mood and anxiety

Depression and anxiety are more common with migraine and can both result from and worsen it. Treating them is part of treating migraine ⁷.

Neck, jaw and back pain

Neck pain and muscle tenderness are extremely common in migraine ⁸. Jaw problems (temporomandibular disorders) are also linked ⁹, as is back pain ¹⁰. See Neck, jaw and muscles.

Concussion

Pre-existing migraine is associated with a harder concussion recovery, and concussion can bring on migraine-like headache ^11,12.

Heart and stroke health

Migraine, especially with aura, is associated with a modestly higher risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. The risk is small for most people but rises with smoking and estrogen-containing birth control, so these deserve attention ^13,14.

Thinking and memory

Some studies find small differences in certain thinking tasks in people with migraine, particularly during and around attacks ¹⁵.

Research cited on this page

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2. Formeister EJ, Rizk HG, Kohn MA, et al. The Epidemiology of Vestibular Migraine: A Population-based Survey Study. Otol Neurotol. 2018;39(8):1037-1044. PubMed 30020261 · DOI
3. Lee SH, Kang Y, Sohn JH, et al. Dizziness Handicap and Its Contributing Factors in Patients With Migraine. Pain Pract. 2019;19(5):484-490. PubMed 30659725 · DOI
4. Zaproudina N, Teplov V, Nippolainen E, et al. Asynchronicity of facial blood perfusion in migraine. PLoS One. 2013;8(12):e80189. PubMed 24324592 · DOI
5. Thijs RD, Kruit MC, van Buchem MA, et al. Syncope in migraine: the population-based CAMERA study. Neurology. 2006;66(7):1034-7. PubMed 16606915 · DOI
6. Buse DC, Rains JC, Pavlovic JM, et al. Sleep Disorders Among People With Migraine: Results From the Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study. Headache. 2019;59(1):32-45. PubMed 30381821 · DOI
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8. Szikszay TM, Hoenick S, von Korn K, et al. Which Examination Tests Detect Differences in Cervical Musculoskeletal Impairments in People With Migraine? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Phys Ther. 2019;99(5):549-569. PubMed 30690564 · DOI
9. Song HS, Shin JS, Lee J, et al. Association between temporomandibular disorders, chronic diseases, and ophthalmologic and otolaryngologic disorders in Korean adults: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2018;13(1):e0191336. PubMed 29385182 · DOI
10. Badley EM, Millstone DB, Perruccio AV. Back Pain and Co-occurring Conditions: Findings From a Nationally Representative Sample. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2018;43(16):E935-E941. PubMed 29462062 · DOI
11. Terry DP, Huebschmann NA, Maxwell BA, et al. Preinjury Migraine History as a Risk Factor for Prolonged Return to School and Sports following Concussion. J Neurotrauma. 2019;36(1):142-151. PubMed 29732944 · DOI
12. Kamins J, Charles A. Posttraumatic Headache: Basic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets. Headache. 2018;58(6):811-826. PubMed 29757458 · DOI
13. Adelborg K, Szépligeti SK, Holland-Bill L, et al. Migraine and risk of cardiovascular diseases: Danish population based matched cohort study. BMJ. 2018;360:k96. PubMed 29386181 · DOI
14. Agostoni EC, Longoni M. Migraine and cerebrovascular disease: still a dangerous connection?. Neurol Sci. 2018;39(Suppl 1):33-37. PubMed 29904830 · DOI
15. Pellegrino Baena C, Goulart AC, Santos IS, et al. Migraine and cognitive function: Baseline findings from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health: ELSA-Brasil. Cephalalgia. 2018;38(9):1525-1534. PubMed 29058954 · DOI