While throbbing head pain is a key symptom, migraine is much more than just a headache. This long-term condition causes people to have migraine ‘attacks’ which can range from moderate to severe, sometimes meaning people completely lose their ability to function normally until it passes. There are different types of migraine and how they affect people can vary.
But in addition to headaches, Phil Day, superintendent pharmacist at Pharmacy2U , says symptoms often include “nausea and a sensitivity to light or sound”. Day adds: “You might hear the term ‘aura’ when talking about migraines. They are temporary warning symptoms like dizziness, blind spots and flashing lights, that will alert sufferers to an impending migraine.
These will affect a third of people who have migraines and can last up to an hour.” Other people might experience other warning signs, such as suddenly feeling very tired and yawning a lot, peeing more, a stiff neck and sudden shift in mood. Pins and needles can also occur, and even difficulty speaking.
“Although the precise cause of migraines is unknown, they are widely understood to be linked to abnormalities that temporarily affect nerve signals, chemicals, and blood vessels in the brain,” says Day. “And migraines can be set off by triggers that are unique to each individual.” This is why understanding triggers can be key in helping manage migraine.
But what exactly are they, and how can you identify them? What are migraine triggers? �.