Typical migraine symptoms are the following:
- Headache (from moderate to severe)
- Pulsating pain which get more severe with physical activity (sometimes merely turning a head or moving a limb increases the pain)
- Pain located on one side of the head (rare on both sides), around the eye
- Nausea or vomiting (vomiting can relieve severe conditions)
- Poor concentration or limited ability to perform routine tasks
- Extreme, painful sensitivity to light, sound and even smells
- Desire to relax in a dark quiet place
- Loss of appetite (in some cases)
In about 20% of migrain cases (this is called Classic Migraine) people experience some or all of the following migrane heralds prior to severe headache:
- An ‘aura’. You vision gets affected 15-60 minutes before the headache. You can see visual flashing lights (some people say it looks like illuminated water flowing in front of their eyes), slowly spreading blind spots, zigzag flashing lines at the corners of your vision areas.
- tingling in your limbs
- weakness or dizziness
- speech problems
- craving sweets
The headache may last from 4 hours to 3 days. Migrain can set in even during sleep. Migraine attacks persisting for longer periods or occurring several times a month may be a serious warning sign of a possible stroke.
At the aura stage headache can be prevented, or at least reduced to minimum.
However, most migraineurs have common migraine (without aura).
Always consult healthcare professionals about migrain treatment if you experience migrain symptoms!
