Migraines Types
Migraines | Types
Migraine is not just another word for “severe headache.” Instead “migraine” refers to a neurological condition where neurons in the brain react to certain stimuli in an excitable and then inflammatory way. The brain’s inflammatory reaction then causes a cascade of symptoms, of which headache is only one among many.
Migraine Type 1: Migraine Without Aura
Most people think that in order to have an actual migraine there must be aura symptoms. This is not true. A migraine without aura can be defined as a reoccurring headache problem where the attacks last from four hours to 72 hrs. People who experience these types of migraines frequently have pulsating (throbbing) pain of moderate to severe intensity that is located on a single side of the head. Nausea and light or sound sensitivity is also not uncommon. Note: This type of headache is made worse, not better by routine physical activity. This is an important distinction.
Migraines without auras are the most commonly experienced migraine. These tend to reoccur more frequently and carry a more intense level of pain. It is also believed that there is a relationship of some type between migraines without auras and menstruation.
Migraine Type 2: Migraine With Aura
The clichéd view of migraine auras is the person who sees halos around people and objects before the one set of a migraine. This definition is much too limiting. “Aura” is simply the term used to refer to a whole set of neurological symptoms that precede the onset of a migraine headache and disappear once it develops. To be defined strictly as an aura each symptom must develop over five to twenty minutes and last for no more than sixty minutes. This means that “aura” is not just another word for pre-migraine symptoms. Instead it refers to a stage in a migraine attack.
Typical aura symptoms include vision, sensory, or speech problems. Visual symptoms include flickering lights, spots, lines, zigzags, or loss of vision. Other people report seeing “chicken-wire,” “bugs,” or “clouds.” Descriptions and perception will vary from person to person. Auditory symptoms include trouble hearing, hearing things that are not there, or other sound distortions. Sensory symptoms can include feelings of numbness (like a Novocain injection) and/or prickly sensations, feelings of dizziness or being unsteady on your feet. Speech disturbance can be varied but usually involve difficulty speaking or recalling certain words. It important to note again that these symptoms develop and then disappear completely.
Some people experience all of the typical symptoms and behavior of an aura but do not go on to develop the single sided, pulsating headache typical of a migraine without aura. Others do not develop headaches at all.
Migraine Type 3: Typical Aura without Headache
Some people do not continue on to a headache phase after experiencing an aura. This is reported common among older individuals and men. In all cases it is recommended to have the condition examined by a physician to rule out other causes – especially in people over forty, and those who experience prolonged or very brief aura.
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