Side Effects Of Migraine

A migraine is a severe, but unfortunately most common headache. Women suffer from migraines more often than men.

Migraine is usually described as a "pounding" or throbbing pain felt in just one side of the head, but in some cases it may spread to the other side. There are two different types of migraine:

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Common migraine (without aura) affects about 75 per cent of migraine sufferers. It is a sudden headache that comes on without any warning and worsens with time. Side effects of such migraine include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or increased urination, loss of appetite, fatigue, chills and irritation.

Classic migraine (with aura) affects about 25 percent of people diagnosed with migraine. In this case people sense a headache coming on. Symptoms of an aura start about an hour before the headache itself.

The main symptom of classic migraine include visual disturbance such as seeing flashing lights or zigzag lines, visual hallucinations, blurred vision and inability to read, increased sensitivity to bright light, temporary blind spots and visual in size or shape of an object.

Other symptoms are sensitivity to loud sounds, temporary numbness or a "needle" sensation in hands, frequent yawning, feelings of hunger and thirst. Rarely sufferers experience numbness around mouth, a brief inability to form a correct sentence, difficulty finding right words and weakness on one side of the body. If you have experienced any of these symptoms it doesn't mean that they will recur. But in any type of headache, where vision is affected it is always suggested to seek professional help.

Even thought migraine headaches are very disturbing and can interfere with performance of daily activities there aren't any serious side effects of migraine that can cause permanent health damage.
True migraines are not a result of any serious medical problems or brain tumors. However, if aura symptoms are not followed by a migraine, headaches become more rapid and last longer or migraine is accompanied with high temperature you should definitely see a doctor and run some neurological tests.

If you suffer from periodical migraines, do not get discouraged. There are plenty of natural remedies and prescribed drugs that will help you to prevent migraines from recurring and help to ease the symptoms. Keep in mind that over-the-counter drugs and most prescribed medications temporally eliminate the symptoms, but not the underlying causes of migraine. If used incorrectly they can cause some very serious side effects and provoke more severe headaches.

Side Effects Of Migraine

Migraines Medications

Ways of Treating Visual Migraine

Visual migraine is a type of migraine known also as ocular migraine and ophthalmic migraine. Similar to the common migraine, its cause is vascular; that is, it involves the blood vessels. Whereas the typical migraine affects the arteries located in the surface of the brain, it affects the veins that supply blood to the vision center.

During a visual migraine episode, the sufferer experiences visual disturbances that typically last for fifteen to thirty minutes. It usually starts as a shimmering light with a semi-circular shape and jagged edges, seen in the peripheral vision and later expands to become more central. The ability to see is obscured within the jagged area. A headache may accompany the disturbance but does not occur in all cases. The more common symptoms that come with this are nausea and vomiting and a heightened sensitivity to light. Although the root cause of this particular migraine is not known, some of its common triggers are identified as fatigue, depression, dehydration, eyestrain, stress, alcohol, certain foods, and a shift in estrogen levels.

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Diagnosing visual migraine may require visits to the ophthalmologist and neurologist. This is to make sure that the visual disturbances are not caused by an underlying eye condition such as a detached retina or a blood clot in the brain. Once this has been established, then proper treatment can be provided.

Certainly, this is not fatal nor does it cause any damage to the brain or eyes. And since no pain comes with it, treatment is usually unnecessary unless a headache arises during an episode. However, if the attacks are frequent, medications may have to be administered. If the visual migraine occurs with a headache, over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen and naproxen can be taken to relieve the pain. In addition, non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and aspirin are known to prevent these migraine attacks because they help keep the arteries in their normal size. Medications should be taken as soon as the first sign of the aura is felt. During the attack, the vision may be so hampered that doing other activities could be impossible. In these times, the patient should relax and wait for the said migraine to end. Bright lights and sounds should be avoided because they could potentially worsen the symptoms.

Having a visual migraine attack, though most of the times painless, can be frightening, especially for those who experience it for the first time. If anyone encounters any of the symptoms associated with this type of migraine, he should consult his physician immediately. This migraine, by itself, usually requires no treatment but the symptoms could be signs of a more serious condition. Knowing about a disease and how to deal with it is the best treatment of all.

Ways of Treating Visual Migraine

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