Why Migraines Are More Than Just a Headache
Although the cause of migraine headaches is often undetermined,
we do know that they present in different ways, and may involve
different areas of the head and/or neck area.
Many people experience migraines with an aura. This is a
neurological phenomenon that produces a variety of symptoms,
both visual and physical. The aura may occur shortly before
onset of the headache, or at the same time.
Most aura are visual in nature, and often described as
blurriness or outlines around objects, and sparks, waves, or
bright lights at the outer edge of the person's field of vision.
Physical auras can include dizziness, nausea, numbness and
vision problems.
The most common type of migraine headache occurs without an
aura. These may or may not be preceded by sensations or moods
that "telegraph" a headache is coming. Keeping a headache diary
may help you determine whether your migraines do foretell their
own arrival.
Symptoms may include tiredness or moodiness as early as 12- 18
hours before onset of the headache. A migraine may remain at a
"static" level that is tolerable, as long as the patient is not
physically active, such as sitting at the office, or reading at
home.
Standing up, or engaging in a physical stress increases heart
rate, blood pressure, and aggravates the one-sided or bilateral
pounding in your head. Extreme sensitivity to light and/or
sound, as well as nausea and vomiting are typical of a non-aura
migraine.
Other people suffer what is known as a "lower facial migraine",
or carotidynia. There is usually tenderness and possibly
swelling over the carotid artery, and pain that radiates into
the jaw and lower face. These headaches can last a few minutes,
or a few hours, and are more common in older patients.
Another type of migraine headache that is found predominantly in
young people, is the basil artery migraine. These occur when the
basilar artery in the brainstem experiences some type of
pressure or disturbance. This kind of migraine causes vertigo,
dizziness, nausea, slurred vision, and loss of coordination.