(Source: Black Doctor)
What if I told you migraine was the sixth most disabling illness in the world? Wouldn’t you be keener on identifying it from a headache so that you can treat it with the urgency (and amount of care) that it requires?
There is a sharp distinction between headache and migraine. Let me tell you five things that indicate that the innocuous headache you think you have may actually be a devastating migraine.
5 Signs It’s Not Just a Headache
- It hits suddenly and feels unusually severe
A headache that strikes abruptly and becomes intensely painful within seconds or minutes is an emergency. Sometimes called a “thunderclap headache,” it can signal bleeding in or around the brain. Call 911 or seek emergency care immediately, even if the pain starts to ease.
- You also have weakness, confusion or trouble speaking
A headache with sudden numbness, weakness on one side, difficulty speaking, vision changes or trouble walking could be a sign of stroke or another brain emergency. Call 911 immediately. Don’t drive yourself or wait to see whether the symptoms disappear.
- You have a fever and a stiff neck
A headache accompanied by fever and a stiff neck can signal meningitis or another serious infection. Confusion or a new rash adds to the concern. Go to the emergency department right away rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
- It starts after a head injury
A headache after a fall, car accident or blow to the head needs prompt medical evaluation. Seek emergency care, especially if the pain worsens or comes with repeated vomiting, unusual sleepiness, confusion or a seizure. These symptoms can indicate a serious brain injury.
- Your usual headache pattern changes
Headaches that become more frequent, feel different, interrupt sleep or stop responding to your usual treatment deserve a doctor’s evaluation. Arrange a visit soon. Seek more urgent care for a new headache after age 50, or if you have cancer or a weakened immune system.
5 Headache Questions You Should Consider
Do you have auras?
Auras are highly suggestive of migraines. About 20 percent of people having migraines experience auras. These auras are distortions in visual perception. There are cases where aura precedes migraines.
People with auras tend to see flashing lights or wavy lines. Auras are temporary, and their intensity can decrease within 40-60 minutes. But auras – associated with migraines – could extend visual distortions.
You could be feeling numbness in one of your limbs. If you are not necessarily numb, you could have the feeling of needles and pins being pierced into one of your limbs.
Auras indicative of migraine are also demonstrated in jerky movements that could appear like the patient limping.
These conditions don’t instantaneously jump on you. No, there is usually a progressive accumulation of these symptoms.
Are your moods changing sporadically?
About 60 percent of migraine patients experience mood swings. These swings can either come after the onset of the migraine headache or before it.
The variant that comes after the migraine in medical parlance is termed postdrome. Before, it was termed prodrome.
These mood swings can be characterized by increased nervousness, unexplained boisterousness, difficulty focusing, and difficulty thinking.
How about Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS)?
As suggested by the name, this neurological condition triggers altered perceptions, especially of insight. People with AIWS would perceive their body as different in size from what it is in real life. This flows into the narrative that AIWS patients generally see things smaller than they actually are.
AIWS are not unconnected with migraines. Given its similarity to auras, medical practitioners are examining the possibility that it is a migraine aura.
Like in auras, people with AIWS would see 3D objects as flat. They would make colors brighter than they are. When they view things, the colors appear tilted to a side, while stationary objects appear to be moving.
Hallucinations are also symptoms of AIWS triggered by migraines. What’s more, people tend to appear stretched out. If you are experiencing this with headache pain, it is likely a migraine.
Are you experiencing exaggerated light sensitivity?
This is one of the most prevalent symptoms of migraine. Termed photophobia, 80 percent of migraine patients experience heightened sensitivity to light. Scientists are currently exploring the origin of this phobia, with the optic nerve highly suspected of being the starting point.
Photophobia comes in differing intensities, depending on the migraine. In some extreme cases, darkened sunglasses could be needed.
Aside from photophobia, people with migraines also experience exaggerated sensitivity to loud noise. This equivalent is termed phonophobia. Here, loud sounds produce significant discomfort in the individual, as their tolerance to sound is well subdued.
Supposedly negligible sounds like a ticking clock, the sound of someone chewing, or even utensils clanking together can produce intense irritation for individuals with phonophobia.
When photophobia and phonophobia are jointly present in a migraine attack, you see the individual is inclined to withdraw into more silent and darker environments.
Are you experiencing facial pain?
Facial pain is one primary reason why migraine headaches are misdiagnosed as tension or sinus headaches. People with migraine headaches commonly experience pain in their sinuses, necks, and jaws.
An advanced migraine attack can trigger hypersensitivity to touch in any area of your face. Scientists are exploring the possibility of nerve inflammation in the face region.
There you go. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is more likely that your headache is a migraine. Be quick to take restorative actions like pain relievers, antidepressants, or just seeing a doctor.