Picture this: You’re in the middle of a migraine episode when you start feeling unusually warm. Could your migraine be causing a fever?

While the short answer is no, there’s an important connection to understand. In this article, we’ll explore why you might feel a rise in body temperature on top of your migraine symptoms.

Understanding Migraine and Body Temperature

Migraine attacks are complex neurological events that can cause a number of symptoms, including severe headaches. They often come with sensitivity to light and sound and sometimes also nausea. Before you feel head pain, you may also experience visual or sensory disruptions, known as a migraine aura.

While a migraine attack can make you feel terrible, it doesn’t directly raise your body temperature. However, the relationship between migraine and body temperature is complex. Sometimes, some migraine triggers or other health conditions can cause fever.

A migraine attack might be a warning sign that something else is happening in your body. What feels like a migraine attack could actually be a different type of headache caused by an underlying condition that’s also producing fever.

When Headache and Fever Might Occur Together

Several medical conditions can cause a headache and a fever simultaneously.

Infection

Viral infections, like the flu or the common cold, can cause both migraine-like headaches and elevated body temperature. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 can also produce these symptoms together. Bacterial infections might also come with similar symptoms, as can a brain infection, as detailed below.

Inflammation

Inflammation is the body’s normal response to harm — like an injury or germs. When you’re feeling sick or experience more chronic inflammation, a fever is actually a good sign that your body is working correctly to fight illness. Sudden inflammation may cause feelings of heat throughout the body or flushed skin.

However, when inflammation happens in your brain, it becomes serious very fast. Two conditions that lead to inflammation in the brain are encephalitis and meningitis. They can be caused by many factors, including infections. Encephalitis can start with flu-like symptoms and neurological signs including a headache, while meningitis can cause a sudden fever with a severe headache and neck stiffness.

These conditions can both be life-threatening if not treated properly. If you or someone you know develops symptoms of these conditions, seek medical treatment immediately.

Autoimmune Disorders

Autoimmune disorders happen when your body’s immune system attacks your own body by mistake. There are over 100 types of autoimmune disorders, and they can affect body parts in different ways. However, a common symptom of these disorders is a low-grade fever.

Autonomic Features

While less common, some kinds of headaches can affect the autonomic nervous system — the part of your body that controls automatic functions like sweating and temperature regulation. Sometimes, a migraine attack can cause autonomic symptoms such as facial sweating or flushing that can make you feel feverish, even though you don’t actually have a fever.

There is some evidence that migraine attacks interact with the hypothalamus, a part of the brain largely responsible for controlling body temperature.

Other Causes

According to the American Migraine Foundation, some people report feeling hot or cold during a migraine attack. These feelings can often result from changes in how blood flows throughout the body.

High levels of stress can also create flu-like symptoms, including headache and fever-like sensations. While these feelings of body temperature fluctuations are very real, they typically don’t indicate an actual fever when measured with a thermometer.

When To See a Doctor

While most headaches with fever aren’t emergencies, immediate medical attention is recommended if you experience any of the following:

• Severe headache pain that comes on suddenly or feels different from your usual headaches
• Fever above 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius)
• Neck stiffness
• Confusion or trouble thinking clearly
• Persistent nausea or vomiting
• Vision problems, like double vision
• Seizures
• Weakness or numbness anywhere in the body

These symptoms could signal a more serious condition that requires a medical evaluation.

Remember, everyone’s body is unique — what you feel might be different from what someone else experiences. This is why talking with a healthcare professional about your symptoms is essential.

What To Discuss With Your Doctor

When you meet with your doctor, they’ll ask you about your family medical history. Also be prepared to share the following:

• How often you experience migraine attacks and how long symptoms last
• What type of head pain you feel and where
• Whether your headaches come with other symptoms, like fever or temperature changes

Your doctor will help you figure out if your symptoms are related to migraine, another medical condition, or a combination of factors. To make the most of your visit, make sure to bring any questions you have about migraine to your doctor.

While migraine doesn’t typically cause fever, migraine symptoms can sometimes happen alongside other health conditions that do. This is why it’s so important to pay attention to your body, track your symptoms, and seek medical advice when something feels different or concerning.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyMigraineTeam is the social network for people with migraine and their loved ones. On MyMigraineTeam, more than 85,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with migraine.

Have you experienced a fever with your symptoms of migraine? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.

Are your headaches a symptom of migraine? Get a quick assessment.