Migraine Symptoms

Migraines headaches are characterized by severe pain which may be confined to one side of the head (unilateral) or may affect both sides of the head (bilateral headache). A single migraine episode can produce some of or all of the following migraine symptoms:

• Pain that worsens with physical activity
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sensitivity to light and sound
• Sweating
• Stomach ache and diarrhoea
• Increased urination
• Temporary neurological deficits such as fainting, paralysis or weakness of one side of the body, or double vision.

Different people experience different symptoms and different time periods between migraine attacks. Some people get migraine attacks several times a month while others may get them just once or twice a year.

Not all migraines are the same. Most people experience migraines without auras while some have migraines with auras. A migraine aura occurs about 15 to 30 minutes before the actual migraine headache begins. People experiencing a migraine aura may see sparkling flashes of light, perceive dazzling zigzag lines in their field of vision, experience slowly spreading blind spots in their vision or feel tingling, pins and needles sensations in one arm or leg. Some people, though rarely, experience weakness or language and speech problems. Migraine auras are seen as warning symptoms. People who experience auras get the feeling that a migraine is about to start.