Hazel Breen
Communications and Information Officer, Migraine Association of Ireland
Most people assume a migraine is just a headache, but this could not be further from the truth. Migraine is a complex neurological condition with different types.
According to the Global Burden of Disease study, headache disorders are among the most prevalent disabling conditions worldwide. One in ten people in Ireland live with migraine. We must understand the different types of migraine and the symptoms of each.
Most migraineurs suffer migraine without aura
Common symptoms:
- Intense throbbing headache, usually on one side, worsened by movement
- Nausea/vomiting
- Light, noise and smell sensitivity
- Neck and shoulders stiffness
- Blurred vision
Migraine with aura refers to neurological disturbances that occur before the headache, usually lasting 20–60 minutes. Roughly 20% of people with migraine experience ‘aura’ in addition to some or all the symptoms (blind spots, flashing lights, zig-zag patterns).
Aura can also present in other ways with pins and needles, slurring of speech, muscular weakness, loss of coordination or confusion.
Migraine with aura refers to neurological
disturbances that occur before the
headache, usually lasting 20–60 minutes.
Rare types of migraine some people experience
Migraine aura with no headache: Only 1% experience migraine aura with no headache. Common symptoms are the same as migraine with aura above.
Hemiplegic migraine is a rare form of migraine where the person experiences many common symptoms but may also suffer from temporary numbness, weakness or even paralysis.
Common symptoms of hemiplegic migraine:
- Numbness or weakness on one side of the body (hemiplegia)
- One side of the face can fall which looks like a stroke
- Headache
- Visual disturbance and aura (sparkles, shimmers)
- Tingling in extremities
- Trouble speaking
- Confusion, brain fog
- Ataxia
- Fever
Basilar migraine is a rare type that includes symptoms such as loss of balance, double vision, blurred vision, difficulty speaking and fainting. During the headache, some people lose consciousness.
Ophthalmoplegic migraine is a very rare type that occurs mainly in young people where there is weakness in one or more of the eye muscles. In addition to headache, symptoms include pupil dilation, inability to move the eye up, down or across — and eyelid drooping.
Migraines can affect various parts of the body
Vestibular migraine is a disorder which creates coordination issues with the sensory information that is sent to your brain from the eyes, muscles, bones and vestibular organs inside the ears.
Common symptoms:
- Severe dizziness
- Vertigo
- Head, eyes, or body motion problems
- Diminished eye focus
- Tinnitus
- Muscle spasms in the upper spine area
It’s best not to dismiss these symptoms as ‘just a headache’ and get familiar with the type of migraine you could be experiencing.
For more information, visit www.migraine.ie
