- The prodrome:The prodrome (sometimes called pre-headache)
may be experienced hours or even days before a migraine attack. The prodrome is
considered a warning sign for individuals suffering migraine attacks that an
episode is imminent. For the 30-40% of individuals with migraines that
experience prodrome, the warning signs can give the individuals opportunity to
abort the migraine attack using conventional and integrative therapies.
Symptoms typical of the prodrome include food cravings, constipation or
diarrhea, mood changes (such as depression or irritability), muscle stiffness
(especially in the neck), fatigue (excessive tiredness), and increased
frequency of urination.
- The aura: The aura is the most familiar of the phases. Auras
are sensory phenomena that can follow the prodrome and usually last less than
an hour. The symptoms and effects of the aura vary widely, and include visual
hallucinations (such as flashing lights, wavy lines, spots, partial loss of
sight, blurry vision), olfactory hallucinations (smelling odors that are not
there), tingling or numbness of the face or extremities on the side where the
headache develops, difficult finding words and/or speaking, confusion, vertigo
(dizziness), partial paralysis (loss of muscle coordination), auditory
hallucinations (hearing noises that are not there), decrease in or loss of
hearing, and reduced sensation or hypersensitivity to feel and touch.
- Approximately 20% of individuals with migraines experience
aura. As with the prodrome, migraine aura can serve as a warning, and sometimes
allows the use of conventional or integrative therapies to abort the episode
before the headache begins. Some individuals can experience aura without a
headache, termed "silent" migraine.
- The headache: The headache phase is generally the most
unbearable part of a migraine episode. The effects of a headache are not
limited to the head only, but affect the entire body. Migraine headaches
usually are described as an intense, throbbing or pounding pain in the temple
area, although the pain can be located in the forehead, around the eye, or the
back of the head. The pain usually is on one side of the head (unilateral),
although about a third of the time the pain is bilateral (both sides).
Unilateral headaches typically change sides from one attack to the next.
Although migraine headache pain can occur at any time of day, statistics have
reported the most common time to be 6 a.m. It is not uncommon for individuals
with a migraine headache to be awakened by the pain. The headache phase usually
lasts from one to 72 hours. In less common cases where it lasts longer than 72
hours, it is termed status migrainosus, and medical attention should be sought.
Symptoms of the headache phase of a migraine include pain worsened by physical
activity, phonophobia (sensitivity to sound), photophobia (sensitivity to
light), nausea and vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, nasal congestion and/or
runny nose, depression or severe anxiety, hot flashes and chills, dizziness,
confusion, and either dehydration or fluid retention, depending on the
individual. The combination of disabling pain and symptoms such as nausea or
vomiting often prevents sufferers from performing daily activities.
- The postdrome: Once the headache is over, the migraine
episode is still not over. The postdrome, or post-headache, follows immediately
afterward. The majority of individuals with a migraine take hours to fully
recover, while others take days. Most individuals in a postdrome phase are
fatigued (excessively tired) and have a "hangover" feeling. These
feelings may often be attributed to medications taken to treat the migraine,
but may well be caused by the migraine itself. Postdromal symptoms have been
shown to be accompanied and possibly caused by abnormal cerebral (brain) blood
flow and electroencephalogram (EEG, a measure of brain electrical impulses)
readings for up to 24 hours after the end of the headache stage. In cases where
prodrome and/or aura are experienced without the headache phase, the postdrome
may still occur. The symptoms of prodrome include decreased mood levels
(especially depression) or feelings of well-being and euphoria, fatigue, poor
concentration, and comprehension, and lowered intellect levels.
- Migraine headache symptoms in children: Migraines typically
begin in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood and, in general, may become
less frequent and intense as the individual grows older. About half of all
school-aged children in the United
States have experienced some type of
headache. During childhood, boys and girls suffer from migraine at about the
same rate. However, during their adolescent years, more girls are affected most
likely due to hormonal changes. Also, both aging men and women may suffer from secondary
headaches, such as tension or cluster headaches, more often than children under
18 years of age.
- Children's migraines tend to last for a shorter time, but
the pain can be disabling and can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting,
lightheadedness, and increased sensitivity to light. A migraine headache tends
to occur on both sides of the head in children (bilateral) and visual auras are
rare. Children often have premonition signs and symptoms, such as yawning,
sleepiness or listlessness, and a craving for foods such as sugary foods and
chocolate. Children may have all of the signs and symptoms of a migraine
headache (nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and sound, aura),
but no head pain. These migraines can be especially difficult to diagnose.
Copyright ‚© 2007 Natural Standard Inc.
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