Brady Hoffman, a social media influencer and busy nursing student, had his first migraine at age 10. His pediatrician thought he might grow out of them. Instead, Hoffman's painful migraine attacks became more frequent, especially as a teenager.
"Growing up with migraines was honestly pretty debilitating," he says. "... It affected me a lot because I was always on edge [about] whether I was going to get one or not."
Once a migraine attack started, Hoffman often had to put his life on hold. "I would just sleep for hours and hours," he says. "That was the only thing that would help me."
Now that he's 25, Hoffman no longer has 12 to 15 migraine attacks each month. "Knock on wood, I haven't had a migraine in close to two months, which has been fantastic," he says.
Migraine treatments and living a healthier lifestyle have made a big difference. Age could play a role, too.
"Migraine is a brain sensitivity that can wax and wane across different life stages, sometimes becoming more active and sometimes improving," says Jaclyn Rosencutter Duvall, MD, a board-certified neurologist at Headache Specialists of Oklahoma in Tulsa.
Migraine involves your brain's pain networks, which change over the course of your life. Many things, including hormone levels and physical development, can also affect your migraine patterns.
As a result, "migraine can change in severity, duration, symptoms, and triggers across different decades of life," Duvall says. "It's still migraine, but it may look very different at age 8 than it does at 18, 30, or 50."
Here's what to know about the ages and stages of migraine.
Migraine in Children
About 5% of kids have a migraine before they turn 10. Even infants can get them. Some experts think colic (when a healthy baby cries for hours without a clear reason) is due to migraine.
Boys are slightly more likely to have migraine than girls. It's also hereditary. If one or both of your parents live with migraines, you have a 50% to 75% chance of being affected, too.
Childhood migraines:
- Are often shorter than adult migraines
- Are more likely to involve both sides of your head
- Usually include stomach symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, belly pain, or motion sickness
"These differences occur because the developing brain processes pain and sensory signals differently, and migraine patterns often evolve as the nervous system matures," says Duvall.
It's rare for kids to have chronic migraines, in which they have more days with symptoms than without. Still, migraine is often overlooked in kids. Even Hoffman's family didn't fully understand his symptoms at first. "They truly thought, 'What the heck is it? Why are you so debilitated? It's just a headache,' until they finally got education on [migraine] and … saw what I was going through," says Hoffman.
Migraine in Adolescence (12-18 years)
About 15% to 27% of teenagers have migraine attacks. Hormones – especially changes in estrogen as periods start – play a big role. "But they're not the only factor," says Duvall. "Changes in brain development, sleep patterns, stress, and lifestyle also contribute."
Some research shows that, as with younger kids, migraine attacks in adolescents:
- Tend to happen later in the day, and on weekdays instead of weekends
- Are more likely to be relieved by sleep
This age is also "a major transition period for migraine," Duvall says. "Attacks often begin to resemble typical adult migraines, with longer headaches and increased sensitivity to light and sound."
Other common migraine symptoms in adolescence include:
- Feeling lightheaded
- Fatigue (feeling tired for no reason)
- Finding it hard to focus
About 60% of people who have a migraine for the first time during adolescence keep having them on and off for years.
Migraine treatment at this age often involves:
- Preventive therapy, such as medications and talk therapy that help you get migraines less often
- Rescue medications, which shorten migraine attacks or make them less severe
- Lifestyle changes that help you manage key triggers like sleep, stress, exercise, and nutrition
Migraine in Young Adults (19-27 years)
"Migraine tends to be most common and most active … during this stage of life," Duvall says. You may have more frequent migraine episodes or more fully developed migraine symptoms.
That isn't set in stone. "Migraine patterns vary widely from person to person, and some individuals may actually see improvement later in adulthood," she says.
"I definitely was getting more when I was in that high school-going-into-college era," says Hoffman. Now that he's 25, his migraines have consistent triggers, including stress, lack of sleep, chocolate, and some types of red wine and beer. "[Back] then it was, 'Oh my gosh, I just wake up and get one,'" he says.
Migraine in Older Adults (28 years and beyond)
Throughout adulthood, what's going on in your life – like ongoing stress or hormone changes – will keep playing a part in migraines.
This is especially true for women.
- Pregnancy often improves migraine symptoms, especially in the second and third trimesters.
- Perimenopause (the months or years before menopause) can trigger more migraine attacks.
- Menopause (when your periods end, usually between ages 45 and 55) often lessens or stops migraines.
Your migraine attacks could also change as you age. For instance:
- You may become less sensitive to light, sounds, and smells.
- Pain, alcohol, and tobacco may become more likely triggers.
It's possible to have a migraine for the first time later in life. If so, check with your doctor. It could be a sign of another health issue.
Can You Outgrow Migraine?
"It's more common to see boys outgrow migraine during their teenage years," Duvall says.
Hormones tend to level out when you're in your late teens and early 20s. That can help your migraines happen less often or go away altogether.
"Girls, on the other hand, often continue experiencing migraine into adulthood, particularly during their childbearing years, largely because of estrogen fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle," Duvall says.
What Parents and Caregivers Should Know
Living with migraine, or caring for a child who has the condition, can be a challenge. You want to prevent and manage attacks, while also living your life.
Hoffman's best advice? "Speak to your doctor. Because to just deal with them and not know when you're going to get them is really miserable," he says.
Your family doctor can help. So can a headache specialist, who has special training to recognize and treat migraine.
"The good news is that migraine is very manageable, especially when it's recognized early," Duvall says. "Teaching children healthy habits – such as consistent sleep, hydration, regular meals, and stress management – can make a significant difference."
Most kids with migraine "grow up to live full, active lives, and treatment options continue to improve every year," she says. "With the right support and education, you can learn how to manage migraine effectively at every stage."
