Migraines mean that one regularly gets a severe headache and other symptoms like visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Migraine can cause symptoms and complications in other body parts as well but is almost rare. One may be very extra sensitive to light and noise or feel sick.
Migraines are a very common problem. In the UK about 15 out of every 100 people have at least one migraine attack every month. Half of these attacks interrupt daily life. One may need to take time off work or studies and rest in bed at the time of these attacks.
One can face migraines for the first time at any age. They can start during childhood or adolescence, although they might not be diagnosed then. Most people face migraines at the age of 30 but it may be starting from childhood or adolescence. As one gets older the attacks also get less severe.
No cure for migraines has been finding until now, but there are some ways to treat symptoms, reduce the pain, and stop them from happening so often.
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Symptoms of Migraines
The signs that a migraine is coming means it is on its way can easily be noticed a few hours or even days before an attack. ‘Prodrome’ or ‘premonitory phase’ is the phase where we come to know that migraine is on its way. One may get a desire for a certain food, have mood swings, and also yawn a lot.
One may get aura symptoms as well, sometimes just minutes before a headache starts. The face, lips, tongue, arms, or legs may tingle at that time. One may have blurred vision or see flickering lights also at that time. One finds it hard to speak clearly or may feel dizzy. These symptoms can last up to a couple of hours as they were temporary.
A migraine headache can last for four hours, but sometimes it lasts for three days. That means the session for the migraine headaches last in between four hours and three days. One will probably have a throbbing, pulsating, or banging pain at the front or on one side of the head. Sometimes the pain becomes worse by doing an everyday activity like walking or climbing stairs the pain may become worse.
Other common symptoms are:
- Feeling or being sick.
- Stomach ache.
- Sweating.
- Pain in the neck, behind eyes and across jaw and noise.
- Diarrhea.
- Needing to urinate more often.
- Feeling hot or cold.
- Sensitivity to light, noise, and smells
Different types of Migraines
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Migraine without Aura
It is formerly known as Common Migraine. This is the most common type of Migraine. The Symptoms are moderate to severe headache pain that occurs without warning and is generally felt on one side of the head. It also includes nausea, confusion, blurred vision, mood changes, fatigue, and increased sensitivity to light, sound, or smells along with it. Attacks typically last between 4 to 72 hours, and they repeat a few times a year to a few times a week.
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Migraine with Aura
It is generally called Classic or Complicated Migraine. This type of migraine considers visual disturbances and some other neurological symptoms also with it. These neurological symptoms appear about 10 to 60 minutes before an actual headache occurs and these symptoms do not last for more than an hour. The vision part is temporarily lost almost.
The aura may occur at any time without the headache pain. Aura symptoms can also include an abnormal sensation or muscle weakness on one side of the body, but only when if the aura is very less frequent. In less frequent aura symptom there is also a tingling sensation in the face or hands, confusion, and trouble speaking included.
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Hemiplegic Migraine
It generally affects a very less population. It is basically a subtype of migraine with aura. It is a very severe form of migraine all though it is very rare. This migraine causes temporary paralysis. The paralysis may remain at the time of headache or may it remain for several days in one side of the body.
This is often very true that this problem is basically more found in child or infants rather than that in adults.
The affected person may find many problems such as vertigo, a problem in seeing, and speaking also.
There are two types of hemiplegic migraine the first one is sporadic hemiplegic migraine and the other one is a familial hemiplegic migraine.
Familial hemiplegic migraine is considered as genetic migraine disorder whereas Sporadic hemiplegic disorder does not contain any genetic issue with it. If a family member of the affected person also has a hemiplegic migraine the doctor easily considers the migraine of the infected person is Familial hemiplegic disorder.
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Chronic Migraine
Research says that 1% of the population are having this migraine. They can with or without aura. This migraine remains for 15 days in a month. This is truly horrible but people become used to it as they know they will surely be attacked by this every month and may live for 15 days or more than 15 days.
The people affected by this migraine continue there work when they are facing a headache.
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Basilar migraine
It is a very dangerous types of migraines although it is quite rare. It attacks mostly women and girls. It includes dizziness and vertigo which leads to tinnitus and also leads to prior headaches.
Sometimes there is the loss of consciousness prior to a headache in this migraine. It also includes partial vision loss.
Prevention from migraine
Prevention is better than cure in the case of migraine. Common migraine causing activity include:
- Dehydration
- Lack of sleep
- High altitude
- Intense exercise
- Emotional distress
- High blood pressure
- Flickering or bright lights
No cure for migraines has been found until now, but there are some ways to treat symptoms, reduce the pain, and stop them from happening so often.
