Have you ever wondered what the differences are between a headache and a migraine? How do you determine if you have indeed fallen in to category inclusive to those who suffer migraines? Is someone close to you a victim of frequent severe headaches and you wonder if perhaps they are indeed migraines? Let’s dig into this topic and identify a list of qualifiers and how to know if you or a loved one is indeed suffering from this debilitating pain.
First of all, you need to understand there are three types of headache classifications: Primary, Secondary, and Other that includes facial or cranial pain among others. Primary headaches include tension headaches, migraine headaches, and cluster headaches.
Now that’s great information, but how do you determine if you suffer from a migraine? Migraines actually can morph into four stages although any one victim may not necessarily experience each stage. The first stage is 1-2 days before the actual onset and those Prodrome symptoms include:
- Irritability
- Hyperactivity
- Neck tension
- Constipation
The next stage is referred to as the Aura stage. These symptoms include disturbances to sensory, visual, motor, and verbal functions. Vision loss, pins and needles feeling in extremities, speech problems can last for up to 10-30 minutes.
The third stage is the one everyone knows and that is the Attack stage. A migraine will typically last 4-72 hours and the symptoms can include any or all of the following:
- Throbbing or pulsating pain in the head
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Sensitivity to light
- Blurred vision
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
Completely dependent upon the individual victim is the frequency to which migraines occur. Some may report a migraine once a month while others will suffer 2-3 migraines a week.
The fourth and last stage of the migraine sequence is the Postdrome stage where the victim feels drained and exhausted.
Now you have the information necessary to self-diagnose, however if you believe you may suffer from migraines it would be advisable to see a doctor to confirm. There are many treatment options available both holistic and natural as well as prescription. As you consider treatment options it is also recommended to seek one that is not only going to care for your migraine symptoms, but one that will actually treat the cause of the migraines as well.
Tags: Chronic migraine, headache, migraine, migraine headaches, migraine stages, migraine treatment, Prodrome symptoms, tension headaches, treating migraines
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