Why Migraines Are More Than Just a Headache

Although the cause of migraine headaches is often
undetermined, we do know that they present in different
ways, and may involve different areas of the head and/or
neck area.
Many people experience migraines with an aura. This is a
neurological phenomenon that produces a variety of
symptoms, both visual and physical. The aura may occur
shortly before onset of the headache, or at the same time.
Most aura are visual in nature, and often described as
blurriness or outlines around objects, and sparks, waves,
or bright lights at the outer edge of the person”s field of
vision. Physical auras can include dizziness, nausea,
numbness and vision problems.
The most common type of migraine headache occurs without an
aura. These may or may not be preceded by sensations or
moods that “telegraph” a headache is coming. Keeping a
headache diary may help you determine whether your
migraines do foretell their own arrival.
Symptoms may include tiredness or moodiness as early as 12-
18 hours before onset of the headache. A migraine may
remain at a “static” level that is tolerable, as long as
the patient is not physically active, such as sitting at
the office, or reading at home.
Standing up, or engaging in a physical stress increases
heart rate, blood pressure, and aggravates the one-sided or
bilateral pounding in your head. Extreme sensitivity to
light and/or sound, as well as nausea and vomiting are
typical of a non-aura migraine.
Other people suffer what is known as a “lower facial
migraine”, or carotidynia. There is usually tenderness and
possibly swelling over the carotid artery, and pain that
radiates into the jaw and lower face. These headaches can
last a few minutes, or a few hours, and are more common in
older patients.
Another type of migraine headache that is found
predominantly in young people, is the basil artery
migraine. These occur when the basilar artery in the
brainstem experiences some type of pressure or disturbance.
This kind of migraine causes vertigo, dizziness, nausea,
slurred vision, and loss of coordination.