Migraines are intense headaches that often include nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, light sensitivity, and neck pain. These headache attacks can last for a few hours to a few days. Although migraine specialists aren’t sure of the exact cause of migraines, these doctors do know that there are both genetic and environmental factors at play.
When seeing a migraine specialist, it is important to discuss your triggers and the details of your symptoms. This will help your doctor properly diagnose you. There are a few different types of migraines and finding the right diagnosis is important for pain relief and migraine prevention.
Migraine Without Aura
A migraine without aura is the most common type of migraine. This type accounts for 60%-80% of all migraines. This type of headache occurs without early symptoms (called an aura), such as dizziness, confusion, and blurred vision.
Some symptoms of a migraine without aura include throbbing pain, pain on one side of the head, nausea, vomiting, and light or sound sensitivity.
Migraine With Aura
About one-quarter to one-third of migraine sufferers have migraines with aura. Aura is the symptoms that occur about 30 minutes to an hour before a migraine. These symptoms include dizziness, weakness, and confusion. Changes in vision can also occur - such as blurred vision, seeing halos or spots, and seeing flashes of light. Migraine specialists believe this aura is caused by an electrical or chemical wave that moves across the region of the brain that processes sensory signals.
Once the migraine headache has set in, symptoms include upset stomach, vomiting, light or sound sensitivity, pain in head, dizziness, and odd sensations in limbs.
Migraines with aura can be broken into sub-categories. Migraine with typical aura is the most common sub-category. However, some rarer sub-categories include the following: migraine with brainstem aura, hemiplegic migraine, and retinal migraine.
Migraine With Brainstem Aura
These migraines start in the lower part of the brain - the brainstem. Hormonal changes are linked to this type of migraine. Before the headache occurs, one may experience dizziness, confusion, double vision, and vertigo. Women are more likely to experience this type of migraine.
Hemiplegic Migraine
This type of migraine is rare, but it is also serious. Some of the symptoms of a hemiplegic migraine are similar to a stroke. For example, during this migraine, one may experience temporary paralysis or weakness on one side of the body. Dizziness, vomiting, upset stomach, head pain, loss of balance, slurred speech, and changes in vision may also occur. Mutations in certain genes cause these types of migraines.
Retinal Migraine
Retinal migraines typically affect eyesight in one eye. Partial or full loss of eyesight can occur as well as an ache behind the eye. Although migraine specialists aren’t certain what causes these migraines, it is thought that blood vessel spasms in the retina or changes in the retina nerve cells may cause these migraines.
If you suffer from these severe headache attackes, it is important to seek out a migraine specialist. These doctors will help diagnose your condition and help you find the right treatment. If you are looking for Las Vegas migraine specialists, contact Apex Medical Center. As a pain clinic, we specialize in treating migraines and other painful conditions.
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