Migraine symptoms

Written By The HealthMeth Team - Updated On Saturday, March 13, 2021 6:00 PM

Sister overview

Migraine, migraine, or migraine is a type of headache that occurs repeatedly and cyclically, and that usually focuses on one side of the head, and the resulting headache can be described as being similar to a throbbing or throbbing, and the severity of this varies The pain is between moderate to severe, and usually lasts from 4 hours to 3 days in general, and sometimes it may last longer than that, and migraines may be accompanied by a group of other symptoms, such as: nausea , general weakness, and sensitivity to both light , Sound, [1] [2] and smell, [3] It should be noted that migraine is one of the diseases affecting the nervous system; Therefore, it may cause some neurological symptoms that affect the patient's ability to carry out daily activities, [4]Migraine is a common disease among males and females. The Lancet published in 2012 that the global prevalence of migraine is estimated at 14.7%, which makes it the third most common health problem in the world. Tension headaches come in second, and tooth decay . [5] Although migraine attacks may get worse over time for some, for most migraine sufferers they gradually improve with age. [6]

To learn more about migraine, you can read the following article: ( What is migraine and its treatment ) .


In this context, it should be noted that although migraine is considered a chronic disease that attacks may appear from time to time throughout the life of the person, it is possible to treat the symptoms associated with it and reduce the severity and frequency of headache attacks using some of the treatment options prescribed by the specialist doctor. In addition to the need to change the lifestyle, which includes avoiding headache triggers as much as possible, eating healthy foods , and regularly engaging in physical activities. In general, the medication options prescribed by the specialist are divided into two types; Medicines aimed at controlling migraine attacks and other preventive drug treatments, which the doctor usually prescribes to reduce the severity and frequency of headache attacks in the long term, and thus improve the quality of life of the sufferer, and these drugs may contribute to increasing the response of acute migraine attacks to analgesic treatments for pain. [7] [8]

To learn more about migraine treatment, read the following article: ( Migraine headache treatment ) .


Migraine symptoms

Severe head pain concentrated in one side of the head is the main symptom of migraine, which often worsens with movement, and also limits the victim's ability to practice daily activities. [9] It should be noted that migraine attacks are divided into four stages, each of which has a group It is a possible symptom, but it is not necessary for the patient to go through all of these stages or to suffer from all the symptoms of each stage, and it is possible that some symptoms appear during one stage and continue during the other stages, and in this context it is indicated that the symptoms that the patient feels They may differ from one episode to another, and the following is a detail of the stages of migraine and the most important symptoms that may accompany each stage: [10]


Symptoms of the prodromal stage

The prodrome phase begins one or two days before the onset of migraine and may last for several hours or several days; As the victim may feel during this stage some warning symptoms indicating the onset of migraine, and it is worth remembering that the symptoms of the prodrome stage differ from one sufferer to another, in addition to the fact that some patients do not go through this stage at all, and these symptoms include: Mood change; The patient may suffer from depression or irritability, and this may be accompanied by difficulty in concentrating, constipation or diarrhea, feeling tired, general fatigue, and muscle stiffness. Specifically, the muscles of the shoulders and neck, increased feelings of thirst, insomnia, sensitivity to light and sound, and it is worth noting that frequent yawning and craving some types of food and frequent urinationOf the characteristic symptoms of this stage, it should be noted the need to avoid stimuli sister as much as possible and the practice of meditation and relaxation techniques and taking medications prescribed by your doctor, these are all actions contribute clearly to alleviate the severity of the bout sister and sometimes may prevent their occurrence, [11] [12] It is worth A statement that, according to the American Journal of Medicine published in 2018, 60% of people with migraines go through the prodrome phase. [13]


Symptoms of the aura stage

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke , the approximately one - third of people with migraine can predict episodes of headaches; This is because it is usually preceded by the aura phase, or the aura, [14] ; As the patient may feel during this stage some temporary warning symptoms preceding the migraine attack, and these symptoms often develop within five minutes and continue for nearly an hour, and may be followed by a slight headache in some patients, and among the most prominent warning symptoms that may accompany the aura stage we mention what Comes: [6]

  • Feeling dizzy and losing balance .
  • Difficulty speaking.
  • The sensation of numbness or tingling similar to pins and needles that usually begins in one hand and then extends to the upper arm, and then spreads to the face, lips and tongue.
  • Loss of consciousness, but it should be noted that this symptom is rare.
  • Visual disturbances; The patient may go through periods of losing vision and others during which he feels dizzy in vision, in addition to the possibility of bright and twinkling lights that clearly impede vision, geometric lines, or some blind spots. [11]


Symptoms of the seizure stage

Migraine attack usually begins gradually, and then increases in intensity, and this phase may last for a period ranging from several hours to several days, and during the attack the sufferer often feels a desire to relax and that he is unable to do daily activities. Headache pain during this stage has been described as a throbbing or throbbing pain that begins above the eye and usually affects one side of the head, but it may move to the other side and may affect the whole head, and it may affect the neck and the lower part of the face, and it may worsen during movement or standing With daily activities or during coughing or sneezing, in addition to feeling a headache, [1] [15] This is in addition to the possibility of suffering from other symptoms in addition to the previously mentioned symptoms, and among these symptoms we mention the following: [10]

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting .
  • Constipation or diarrhea.
  • Fluid retention in the body.
  • Hot flashes.
  • Chills
  • Runny or stuffy nose.
  • Confusion.
  • Dizziness
  • Vertigo.
  • Drought.
  • Neck pain.
  • Depression.
  • Anxiety.
  • Feeling of fear.
  • High sensitivity to light, sounds, or smells.


Post-seizure symptoms

After the end of the seizure stage, which is the most difficult and severe stage among the stages of migraine, the patient may pass into the final stage known as the postdrome stage, and here it is worth noting that the sufferer may go through this stage even if he does not go through the stage of the seizure, and the most important These symptoms are: [16]

  • Fatigue.
  • Mood changes, the sufferer may feel anxious, sad or euphoric.
  • Muscle pain.
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness.
  • Difficulty concentrating.
  • Feeling of pain when touching the scalp.
  • Neck stiffness.


Symptoms that warrant immediate medical intervention

In fact, many cases of migraine are not diagnosed and therefore are not treated properly, and therefore it is advised for people with headaches from time to time, especially those who show symptoms or signs of those that have already been noted by writing them down and reviewing the specialist doctor as soon as possible to determine The underlying cause, and for those diagnosed with migraine, the emergence of some symptoms may require a doctor or emergency visit, including cases where symptoms do not improve after using the treatment prescribed by the doctor, or if new symptoms appear or different patterns of migraine, or a severe attack can be described That it is the worst seizure among the seizures that preceded it, or in the event that the seizure appeared suddenly, and among other cases that require a visit to the doctor we mention the following: [12] , [17]

  • Headache with the following symptoms:
    • Seizures ( convulsive seizures ).
    • fever.
    • Double vision.
    • Disorder of the ability to speak.
    • Neck stiffness.
  • Headache caused by a head injury, especially if it worsens over time.
  • Chronic headache that gets worse with coughing, sudden movement or straining.
  • Feeling a new headache in people over the age of 50.
  • Fainting .


Types of migraine

Migraines are classified, based on the presence or absence of sensory disturbances that precede or accompany headache attacks, into two main types, the first type known as migraine with aura, and the second type non-aura migraine, and the fact that there are other less common types, and what follows is an indication of each type Some detail: [18]


Migraine with aura

Patients with migraine with aura have symptoms similar to those previously mentioned in the aura stage. So that these symptoms are warning signs of the arrival of migraine soon. [18]


Migraine without aura

Migraine without aura is more common than other types of migraine. As migraine sufferers experience a seizure without any sensory disturbances that warn of its onset. [18]


Chronic migraine

According to the International Headache Society, migraine is chronic in the event of a headache for more than 15 days during one month over a period of three months without there being an overuse of medicines; This includes at least 8 episodes of migraine, [19] and it is reported that a study was published in the journal Cephalalgia to determine the global prevalence of chronic migraine in 2010, where studies found that Its prevalence reaches 0.7%. [20]


Other types

There are other types of migraine that are associated with a specific trigger or syndrome, which are explained below: [18]

  • Migraine menstrual: ; Attacks of this type of migraine are associated with the menstrual cycle in women.
  • Migraine Alvalja: ; Where the sufferer of this type of migraine feels weakness in one side of the body for a temporary period.
  • Abdominal migraine: , and most often this type of migraine affects children under the age of 14 years, and it is defined as a syndrome linking migraine attacks with disturbance of abdominal and intestinal functions.
  • Migraine with aura brain: , is this type of migraine is rare; As infection causes severe neurological symptoms, such as: Impact on ability to speak.


References

  1. ^ A b the National Institute in Of Neurological disorders And the Stroke (23-11-2019), "Migraine" , Www.medlineplus.gov , Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  2. "Migraine Headaches" , www.webmd.com , Retrieved 28-4-2020.
  3. "Sensitivity to Smells" , migraine.com , Retrieved 28-4-2020. Edited.
  4. Migraine Research Foundation (23-11-2019), "migraine facts" , www.migraineresearchfoundation.org , Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  5. Timothy J Steiner, Lars J Stovner, Gretchen L Birbeck (23-11-2019), "Migraine: the seventh disabler" , www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov , Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  6. ^ A b "Migraine" , Www.nhsinform.scot , 23-11-2019, Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  7. "Migraine Headache Treatment & Management" , emedicine.medscape.com , Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  8. "Migraine" , www.womenshealth.gov , 23-11-2019, Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  9. "Migraine" , www.nhsinform.scot , 23-11-2019, Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  10. ^ A b "Migraine Phases" , Www.migraine.com , 23-11-2019, Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  11. ^ A b "The Timeline In Of Attack of a Migraine" , Americanmigrainefoundation.org , 18-1-2018, Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  12. ^ A b Mayo , Clinic Staff (23-11-2019), "Migraine" Www.mayoclinic.org , Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  13. Paul Rizzoli, William J. Mullally (23-11-2019), "Headache" , www.amjmed.com , Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  14. "Migraine Information Page" , www.ninds.nih.gov , 23-11-2019, Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  15. "Migraine Symptoms by Stage" , www.webmd.com , 27-4-2018, Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  16. Teri Robert (10-18-2019), "Symptoms of a Migraine" , www.verywellhealth.com , Retrieved 23-11-2019. Edited.
  17. "Migraines in the Most Unlikely Places" , www.webmd.com , 11-11-2019, Retrieved 11-11-2019. Edited.
  18. ^ A b t w "Everything You Need To Know About Migraines" , www.medicalnewstoday.com The , 24-11-2019, Retrieved 24-11-2019. Edited.
  19. Dr Fayyaz Ahmed (24-11-12019), "Chronic migraine" , www.migrainetrust.org , Retrieved 11-24-2019. Edited.
  20. Natoli JL, Manack A, Dean B, and others (11-24-2019), “Global prevalence of chronic migraine: a systematic review” , www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov , Retrieved 11-24-2019 . Edited.