Migraines are a type of headaches in which only half of the head hurts. These headaches are mostly throbbing or pulsating in nature. Migraines can be quite debilitating some time. The pain might worsen with physical activity but the symptoms of the disorder are different from person to person.
Migraines are believed to be a lifestyle disorder. Many times multiple environmental and genetic factors are also responsible for migraine. Almost 65% cases have genetic propagation. Migraines also occur because of hormonal reasons. Pre puberty boys and all the women are more prone to complain of migraine.
Here are few signs which might diagnose if you are suffering from migraine:
Prodrome
It is a set of symptoms which indicate the impending migraine attack. It includes hyper excitability, feeling depressed, increased food cravings, stiff neck etc. It mostly happens one or two days before the attack.
Aura
Aura is a feeling of “something is going to happen”. The patient experiences visual changes like seeing various shapes of light, curved light rays, temporary speech loss, pin and needle sensations on the arms etc. It lasts from 5 to 60 minutes following which the headache sets in.
Throbbing Headache
A slow building pain present in one or both sides of the head commonly denotes a diagnosis of migraine. This pain is often described as pulsating.
Nausea and Vomiting
Patient might feel stomach upset, nauseate feeling. And heaving of stomach. Sometimes, it also leads vomiting. Almost 70% of the patients complain of nausea. And 30% experience vomiting.
Restless Sleep
There is a co relation between lack of a good sleep and migraine attacks. The patients often complain of feeling tired after getting up. This results from fitful sleeping.
Eye Pain and Jaw Pain
Many people get their eye sites checked if they have uncontrolled eye brow and retro orbital (behind the eye balls) pain. It can happen because of migraine. Sometimes they get evaluated for an oral pathology but in migraine, the jaw can hurt too.
Red Eyes and Running Nose
Running nose leads to feeling of stuffiness in the nose, which obstructs the oxygen flow leading to migraine attack.
Stiff Neck
The patients often complain of intense neck pain and tightness in the neck which is an indicative factor of migraine.
Mood Swings
The mood swings that people suffer can be extreme. Some of them complain of feeling low or very down. Others recall feeling very optimistic and excited.
Insomnia
Inability to fall asleep: the patients many times report of trouble falling asleep. And even the sleep is not a restful. The sleep is broken and completed in patches.
Increased Urination
The patient often tells that the frequency is urination is increased prior to a migraine attack.
Yawning
The patient complains of felling of tiredness and excessive yawning. It can lead to decrease in productivity at work.
Sensitivity to Light, Noise and Smells
The patient becomes hyper sensitive to the senses. Any strong smell, sudden exposure to light or a bout of loud noise will lead to a migraine attack.
Vertigo
The patient might complain of dizziness and double vision. It is present in a form of migraine.
Are you having any of these symptoms?? Contact your physician as you might probably be suffering from Migraine.