A brain doctor shared a common symptom that could be a sign of a migraine.

Migraines are a complex condition with multiple stages, usually causing very painful headaches. The pain is mostly on one side of the head and gets worse when moving. It often comes with nausea and vomiting. Many people also experience sensitivity to light, sound, and smell. The NHS says people may get various symptoms at the start of a migraine.

Symptoms can include feeling tired, yawning, craving food, feeling thirsty, mood changes, and a stiff neck.

Doctor Brain Barbie discussed one of these common migraine signs on social media.

She talked about yawning and its link to migraines in a TikTok video.

Jessica said, 'Excessive yawning can be a migraine symptom, and it's not just because you're tired.'

She explained that frequent yawning is part of the 'prodrome phase', which is the earliest stage of a migraine that can occur hours or days before the headache.

The hypothalamus, a brain region, is involved in this phase and regulates sleep, appetite, and body temperature. The hypothalamus helps with many automatic body functions.

Brain imaging studies show the hypothalamus is active early in migraine attacks, before the pain starts.

This is relevant because many prodrome phase symptoms are functions the hypothalamus regulates.

These symptoms include yawning, food cravings, fatigue, mood changes, and neck discomfort.

Yawning is linked to dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in reward and motivation.

Dopamine pathways can cause yawning, and dopamine signalling is altered in migraines.

Migraine patients can be sensitive to dopamine, which may explain symptoms like yawning and nausea before the headache.

If you yawn repeatedly for no reason, it doesn't necessarily mean you're tired.

For some migraine patients, yawning may be one of the first signs of a migraine attack.

The headache is just one phase of a neurologic process that may have been developing for hours or days, and the pain is only one part of the story.