Most people who think of a migraine headache think of a pounding pain on one side of the head. This is true of a classic migraine and gives it its old name of hemiplegia. But this is only one type of migraine.
A migraine is also different from other types of headaches in that the pain is only one of its symptoms. The classical migraine has five stages. They are the prodrome, or the warning signs, the aura, the headache itself, the cessation of the pain and the postdrome, where the person feels exhausted and needs to sleep.
Doctors don’t know exactly what causes a migraine, but they suspect it is caused by some kind of disturbance in the central nervous system that leads to a cascade of problems in the body. The tendency toward migraines may also be inherited. Women are more at risk as are people who have conditions such as fibromyalgia, epilepsy, asthma and allergies. Though the first attack can’t be foreseen, there are steps to take to prevent future attacks.
Types of Migraine
The symptoms of the different types of migraine can vary dramatically. Indeed, one type of migraine doesn’t even have head pain as a symptom. This type of migraine has the aura, nausea and other symptoms, but the person’s head doesn’t hurt. The bad news is that people who have these silent migraines tend to suffer from other types. These include:
- Common Migraine: This type of migraine does not come with an aura or prodrome, but with pain on one half of the head that gets worse when the person moves their head, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting.
- Complicated Migraine: This migraine comes with the aura, which is a group of visual and sensory disturbances. The person sees zig-zagging lights or swirls of black dots and may feel tingling on one side of their body. They may slur their words. This aura lasts from 10 to 30 minutes before the headache strikes.
- Hemiplegic Migraine: Though this type of migraine also may not involve a severe headache, its symptoms can mimic that of a stroke. The person has an aura and experiences weakness and a pins and needles feeling on only one side other body.
- Retinal Migraine: This migraine causes a person to lose the sight in one eye. The only good thing about this headache is that the person’s vision is restored eventually. This can take months for some people. It is most common in premenopausal women. Doctors do not know what causes the person to go blind in one eye, but they believe retinal migraine can be a sign of another health problem.
- Chronic Migraine: A person who suffers from chronic migraine has the headache for more than 15 days out of the month. The symptoms vary over the month, and some people may mistake their chronic migraine for a less painful tension headache.
- Basilar Migraine: This is an uncommon migraine where the person loses their balance, has blurry or double vision and has trouble speaking. Some people become unconscious. It is caused when something interferes with the circulation of blood in the neck or at the back of the patient’s brain. It is more common in young women.
- Vestibular Migraine: This migraine disrupts the information the brain sends to the eyes and ears, specifically the vestibular organs that control a person’s sense of balance. So people with this type of migraine experience dizziness, vertigo, inability to focus their eyes, ringing in the ears, ataxia, neck stiffness and pain and confusion. These symptoms can lead to panic attacks.
Migraine FAQ
Q: What can a person do when a migraine strikes?
A: At the first sign that a migraine is developing, the person should lie down and apply a cold compress to their head. The room should be dark and quiet, and the person should try to go to sleep if that’s possible.
Other experts recommend pressing a heating pad to the neck and shoulders for about 15 minutes, and repeat this every night whether the person has a headache or not.
Q: Are there medications that treat migraine?
A: There are many medications that treat migraine, though no single drug works for every sufferer. Doctors also prescribe drugs that expand the blood vessels and vasoconstrictors to narrow them as well as medication to reduce nausea and vomiting. It is important that the patient not overuse these drugs, for overuse can lead to “rebound” headaches.
Q: What can be done to prevent migraines?
A: Many people have triggers that can lead to a migraine attack. These can be foods, drugs, bright lights, emotional stress and even changes in the weather. Some people fall prey to migraines if they travel to high altitudes. Others get them if they drink alcohol or skip meals. One good idea is for the patient to keep a journal to note down the stressors that can bring on a migraine.
