Migraine Symptoms
Migraine Myth: Migraine is Just a Headache
One of the hardest things that people with migraine live with is stigma, and much of that stigma comes from the myth that migraine is “just a headache.” What many people still don’t realize is that migraine is so much more than just a headache. While head pain is often the most notable migraine symptom,…
Read MoreWhy Do I Get Migraine Attacks In The Spring?
Spring is finally here – who’s looking forward to longer and warmer days? Many of us with migraine find that springtime can trigger attacks or worsen migraine symptoms. The changes in weather, fresh flower blooms and pollen, and spring cleaning can all contribute to migraine. Below are the spring triggers to look out for, and…
Read MoreMigraine Symptoms: Closing Thoughts
When people think about migraine, often what comes to mind is head pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. These are also the hallmark symptoms commonly used to identify and diagnose migraine. But those with migraine know these are often just the tip of the iceberg.
Read MoreLesser-Known Migraine Symptoms: Yawning, Thirst, Tinnitus
By now this Migraine Symptoms blog series has proven that migraine goes far beyond head pain. However, in addition to some of the more common symptoms, many people with migraine also experience a set of symptoms that is lesser known—yawning, thirst/dry mouth and tinnitus to name just a few. These symptoms can vary from being mildly annoying to having an intensely negative impact on quality of life.
Read MoreMigraine Symptoms: Numbness, Paralysis, Pins and Needles
People with migraine may experience numbness, paralysis, and/or pins and needles. This usually occurs during the aura phase and can be a warning that an attack is coming. These symptoms are common for those with hemiplegic migraine, a rare type of migraine with aura that causes weakness or paralysis on one side of the body. Experiencing numbness, paralysis, and/or pins and needles can be alarming as these often resemble symptoms of other more serious conditions, such as stroke.
Read MoreMigraine Symptoms: Sensory Hypersensitivity
Migraine is so much more than just a headache. It is often a full-blown attack on the senses. Many people experience sensory hypersensitivity to light, sound, noise, touch and motion before, during and after a migraine attack, and they can sometimes signal that an attack is coming. In addition, while sensory sensitivities are migraine symptoms, coming into contact with visual, auditory, movement and/or olfactory stimuli can also trigger migraine attacks, so it can be circular.
Read MoreMigraine Symptoms: Body Pain
Migraine is full body experience. Before, during and after an attack many people have body pain, including body aches, neck pain, facial pain and allodynia. The pain ranges from mild to severe, and can vary from person to person and attack to attack. Sometimes head pain will come along with body pain, but it’s possible to experience these symptoms and never have head pain at all. This symptom is very hard to cope with as it can make even the simplest daily tasks difficult to complete.
Read MoreMigraine Symptoms: Central Autonomic Parasympathetic Symptoms
Many people with migraine experience central autonomic parasympathetic symptoms. This
unique set of symptoms are rarely recognized as being part of migraine, which often leads to
misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatments. Though these symptoms are underrecognized, they
are actually fairly prevalent, and learning to recognize them may help guide diagnosis, provide
insight into treatment options, and help us understand the overarching burden of migraine
disease.
Migraine Symptoms: Speech Changes
Many people with migraine experience speech disturbances, also known as transient aphasia, which affect one’s ability to communicate. Speech communication is a complex process and more research is needed to fully understand how and why they are impacted by migraine. According to one study in which half of the participants experienced speech changes during migraine attacks, speech dysfunction could be as common of a migraine symptom as nausea and unilateral headache, and more common than vomiting. The study concludes that, upon further research, speech changes may be considered a key feature of a migraine attack. Despite this, speech dysfunction is not a migraine symptom that is frequently talked about.
Read MoreMigraine Symptoms: Mood Changes
Many people with migraine report mood changes before, during or after a migraine attack. Anxiety and depression are common in people with migraine, but other mood changes can also indicate that an attack is on its way. This rarely discussed symptom can greatly interfere with day-to-day life and be quite difficult to manage.
Read MoreMigraine Symptoms: Dizziness and Vertigo
Dizziness and vertigo are two other challenging migraine symptoms. Like visual disturbances, fatigue and brain fog, dizziness or vertigo may be an early warning sign that an attack is starting. They may start prior to the onset of head pain, but some people may also have these symptoms with no head pain at all, and they can be disabling. Those who experience dizziness and vertigo frequently may be diagnosed with vestibular migraine.
Read MoreMigraine Symptoms: Brain Fog
Brain fog is another common and often debilitating migraine symptom. Like fatigue, brain fog can occur at any phase of a migraine attack. In the prodrome and aura phases, brain fog can be an early warning sign that an attack is beginning. It can last through the attack stage and continue on through the postdrome phase, lasting for hours or even days. In fact, some people experience varying levels of brain fog all the time. Brain fog is a challenging and invisible migraine symptom.
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