The symptoms of migraine headaches may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your physician for a diagnosis.

The two most common types of migraines are "classic" migraines and "common" migraines:

• Classic migraines - a type of migraine that involves the appearance of neurological symptoms, called an aura (flashing lights or zigzag lines, or temporary loss of vision) 10 to 30 minutes before an attack. Other classic migraine symptoms may include the following:

• Difficulty with speech

• Weakness of an arm or leg

• Tingling of the face or hands

• Confusion

Pain associated with classic migraines may be described as:

• Intense, throbbing, or pounding felt in the forehead, temple, ear, jaw, or around the eye.

• Starting on one side of the head, but may spread to the other side.

• An attack may last one or two days.

• Common migraine - a type of migraine that is generally not preceded by an aura, although a variety of symptoms maybe prior to its onset. These may include the following:

  • Mental "fuzziness"

  • Mood changes

  • Fatigue

  • Unusual retention of fluids

  • Diarrhea and increased urination

  • Nausea and vomiting

  Common migraine pain may last three or four days.

Migraine Attacks

During a migraine attack, the blood vessels in the brain dilate and then draw together with stimulation of nerve endings near the affected blood vessels. These changes to the blood vessels are probably what cause the pain experienced when an individual suffers from an attack. 

In people with migraine, changes in body chemistry, such as menstruation, certain foods, and dozens of environmental influences, such as a change in weather, may trigger an attack. 

Diagnosis of Migraine

There is often a predisposition for migraine within the family of migraine sufferers, but it is not certain how large a role heredity plays. Migraine is a fairly common condition, affecting about 20 per cent of females and 6 per cent of males in their lifetime. Although it can come on later in life this is unusual. About 90 per cent of migraine sufferers have their first attack before they are 40. 

(The National Magazine Company Limited. Per Rochat and Claus Marsden 16 February 2005).

Who gets Migraine?

Migraine is three times more common among females than males, and for many women who suffer with migraine there is a clear hormonal link. Onset often coincides with the first menstrual cycle, or period. Individual attacks could also be associated with ovulation and the condition often improves substantially in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, when hormonal levels stabilize, and generally after menopause. 

(Modern Drug Discovery,1999, 2 (2), 20-21, 23-24, 28, 31).