Migraine SymptomsMigraine Symptoms are important to recognise.I would see many people each year who are worried about a serious cause for headaches, but whose symptoms clearly point to a diagnosis of migraine or migraine with aura. Knowing that symptoms are migraine is very important as migraine is usually succesfully prevented or treated. There are 2 main migraine symptoms:
The Main Symptom of Migraine is a Frequent HeadacheThe headache of migraine normally happens in episodes.Between episodes of headache there is no pain. The head pain will usually build up over the course of an hour or so, until it reaches its maximum. In most people, migraine headache symptoms reach their peak at about one to one and a half hours. At its maximum the pain of migraine is usually bad enough to make you want to stop what you are doing. If possible, most people would prefer to lie down in the dark. Migraine Headache Episodes will then last for about 12 hours on average. People whose migraine is bad enough to require treatment at a headache clinic will experience a headache that lasts more like 24 hours on average. It is very common for people to experience a dull ache in the head for a day or more after a migraine episode. After the dull ache is over they are free of head pain until the next Headache Episode occurs.
However, not everyone will describe this and some people will just say it is a sharp headache. Some migraines are even like a pressure in the head, which could get confused with tension-type headache. Some are even less descriptive and say it is quite simply a severe headache! The key features are the build up of pain, and freedom from pain between attacks. If you do not have complete freedom from pain between attacks then you may be experiencing a phase of Chronic Migraine. Chronic migraine is a particularly unpleasant form of migraine when there never seems to be proper pain control. Chronic MIgraine is often triggered by excessive painkillers, life stress, poor sleep pattern or an unhealthy lifestyle.
About 10% of people with Migraine will experience Migraine Aura SymptomsApart from a severe headache, migraine aura can occur.Of all the migraine symptoms, Migraine Aura is probably best understood. Migraine aura is due to the surface of the brain slowing down its rate of activity (a process called cortical spreading depression). Usually this slowing down of activity is restricted to the area of the brain that processes vision - the occipital cortex. When the occipital cortex is slowing down, the usual experience is to see a zig-zag or shimmering light is one part of the eye. Over a few minutes this then spreads to involve more of the eye. If one eye is covered during a migraine aura attack, you will often be aware of an identical migraine symptom in the other eye (called homonymous hemianopic aura) A visual aura will usually take about 5 minutes to build up, and lasts about one hour. Some people will experience a more prolonged aura called migraine with prolonged aura - this can go on for days or even weeks, and brain scans are normal. Another variation of prolonged migraine aura is called Migraine with Unilateral Motor Symptoms (called MUMS). In MUMS people experience a persistent heaviness or weakness of arms and legs of one side for weeks at a time, as well as near constant headaches. Aura will also affect the sensory areas of the brain (parietal lobe). This can cause tingling or numbness of the face, lip or arm. It can affect the leg too. The classic feature of migraine sensory aura is that it spreads over a few minutes from one part of the body to the next. Speech can also be affected in migraine aura. Many people who are eventually diagnosed with migraine aura will be worried that they have taken or be about to take a stroke. If migraine symptoms build up very rapidly, it can be impossible to tell the difference and brain scans may be necessary to rule out a serious stroke. There are occasions where migraine aura can cause drowsiness, vertigo, tingling or sensory loss in both arms or both sides of the face at the same time. When drowsiness or vertigo occur the correct headache diagnosis may be basilar-type migraine. People with basilar type migraine may black out or go into a deep sleep. Because they seem to lose consciousness, basilar-type migraine can be misdiagnosed as a form of epilepsy.
Migraine Headache is accompanied by "Sensory Sensitivity"Sensory Sensitivity means that the head and body become less able to cope with light, noise, smell, movement or touch.One survey estimated the frequency of these migraine symptoms as:
At least two of these senses should be disturbed to make a diagnosis of migraine.
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