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Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Migraine

Diagnosis & Tests

How is the condition diagnosed?

According to the International Headache Society, migraine is diagnosed when a person has the following:

at least five headache episodes, each lasting 4 to 72 hours

nausea or sensitivity to light and sounds

at least two of the following: one-sided pain, pulsing pain, moderate or severe pain, or pain aggravated by physical activity

There are no blood tests for migraine.

Usually a migraine headache can be diagnosed with a complete physical examination and a medical history that includes information about the person's headache experiences. Doctors seldom use tests to diagnose a migraine. They may order tests to rule out other possible causes of the headache. These tests may include:

biopsy of the arteries in the head. In this test, a doctor collects a small sample of the artery and examines it under a microscope.

a cranial CT scan, which is an examination of the head using a special three-dimensional X-ray

a cranial MRI, which is a special three-dimensional image made using a magnetic field

an electroencephalogram, also called an EEG, which is a recording of brain waves

an electromyogram, also called an EMG. This test is a recording of the electrical activity of selected muscle groups.

skull X-rays

a spinal tap, where a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid is removed from the spine using a thin needle

testing of levels of certain drugs or toxins in the blood

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