Do you experience any symptoms before your migraine starts?
Maybe your symptoms come on at the same time as your migraine.
No matter which of those above 2 groups you fit in, the migraine symptoms you experience and the pain they cause is both dreaded and excruciating.
While what you feel may not be the same as a person suffering from the exact same migraine, there are still specific signs that you will notice.
This brings up the question: What are the migraine symptoms you experience when the pain comes on?
The Symptoms Of A Migraine Help To Tell It Apart From Different Headaches
There are several symptoms unique to migraines.
In fact to be diagnosed as having one there’s even a certain criteria classification that is followed.
The symptoms you have will depend on which of these 2 common migraines you experience:
– Migraine without aura
– Migraine with aura
Migraine without aura
If you suffer from a migraine without aura you’re part of the 80-85% who go through them when a migraine comes on.
To be categorised with a migraine you must have 5 episodes of the following symptoms, all lasting between 4-72 hours, as well as 2 of the following 4 symptoms:
– Sharp pain on one side of your head
– Pain which is pulsating or throbbing in nature
– Pain of a moderate to severe intensity (This can depend on your perception of pain)
– Pain which is aggravated by normal physical daily activities such as walking or driving
You must also be experiencing 1 of the following 2 symptoms:
– Nausea and/or vomiting
– Increased sensitivity to light or sound
Migraine with aura
If you are forced to deal with a migraine with aura you’re part of the 15-20% who experience even more symptoms.
An aura is what you may go through before your migraine starts. They are usually visual in nature.
The aura will normally come on 20-30 minutes before your migraine where you may experience:
– Flashing lights
– Zig zag lines
– Blind spots
– See movements which are in slow motion (Strobe light effect)
These symptoms all occur as visual problems. On top of that you may also suffer from neurological signs such as:
– Pins and needles down the arm (and sometimes the tongue)
– Weakness in the muscles of your face or arms
– Dizziness
– Ringing in your ears
It generally lasts for 5-45 minutes and is followed by the symptoms described above in a migraine without aura.
The major difference between the two types of migraines is the visual symptoms you experience in a migraine with aura.
Your Migraine Symptoms Can Come From An Underlying Problem
While the cause of your migraines is generally unknown, there are specific migraine triggers which can bring them on and in rare cases come on due to an underlying problem. These include things such as a tumour or vascular problem such as internal bleeding in the brain or vessels in the neck.
These are rare conditions but may still mimic the symptoms of a migraine.
Due to the similarity in symptoms, an assessment and examination from a health professional such as a doctor, chiropractor or physiotherapist is important to rule out these severe underlying causes.
If you suffer from the symptoms of a migraine whether they be with or without aura, chiropractic migraine treatment may help. For an assessment of your migraine symptoms, call us today or book online to see what we can do to help you.
