What does it mean to have migraine?

The International Headache Society (IHS) diagnostic criteria for migraine include various head pain characteristics, associated symptoms such as nausea, and specific limitations on headache duration.1 Most physicians think of migraine in these terms. But what does it really mean to the patient to have migraine? Ultimately, it would appear, it means a reduced quality of life, or at least a reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). But how can HRQoL be measured? This is usually done by means of questionnaires which have been appropriately tested for reliability and validity. HRQoL questionnaires come in two types. Generic HRQoL instruments assess HRQoL with respect to a number of activities in the physical, social, psychological, and behavioral domains that are not specific to a particular disease or treatment.2 Many are based on the World Health Organization definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.3 Disease-specific HRQoL questionnaires focus on particular limitations or restrictions associated with a specific disease state. …