There are  seven symptoms commonly associated with migraine headaches, these symptoms, in rare cases can all occur simultaneously, or as is the norm can occur in any combination, typically depending on the individual themselves. Also each symptom associated with the headache can vary in intensity, in some cases a patient can experience a combination of all the symptoms of a migraine headache but without the pain. These are called silent migraines and typically happen to older people who have suffered from migraine for  most of their lives.

(i) Pain The pain is usually concentrated on one side of the head. Its not constant but tends to be a throbbing or pulsating sensation. It is usually moderate to severe in intensity, and can at its worst severely interrupt normal daily activities leaving the sufferer almost disabled. It is estimated that around 70% of migraine sufferers experience pain as part of their symptoms.

(ii) Nausea/ Vomiting Nausea is the horrible feeling of unease in the upper stomach and head which brings on an urge to vomit. This is one of the most common symptoms associated with migraine with typically 58% being affected.

(iii) Vertigo Migraine associated vertigo is quite common, typically in the region of 41% of patients suffer from this and the degree of dizziness can vary from constant imbalance to a feeling of lightheadedness. It usually occurs before the onset of a headache. In some cases patients find that the dizzines forms the major part of the headache as in the “Silent Migraine” mentioned above.

(iv) Photophobia Photophobia is basically a strong sensitivity to light and is one of the most common symptoms associated with migraine with 65 to 70% of patients being affected. The scientific reason as to why this is so is quite complex but it is believed that there is an anatomic pathway in the brain  that links the visual system to the pathway that produces head pain.

(v) Loss of Appetite Loss of appetite occurs in around 46% of migraine patients with about half of those being severely affected, this can cause other complications like dehydration and  tiredness, especially if the headache lasts for a long period of time.

(vi) Facial Numbness Facial numbness is another side effect which accompanies migraine with 33% of patients being affected. This loss of feeling can occur in all or part of the face which causes serious discomfort and can even affect the ability to speak.

(vii) Aura

Auras usually occur at the onset of a headache signalling the start of a migraine episode, only about 15 to 20% of patients experience these auras which usually last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour before the start of the migraine. A patient who experiences an aura sees a haze of light or a halo around objects, particularly light sources. Others see coloured or white spots which appear to move. These effects usually stop when the pain begins. Some patients can experience the aura without the headache setting in.

There are numerous treatments available on the market today for migraine headaches, with natural remedies becoming more and more popular due to the more long term relief they can bring and also the costs can be so much lower with little or no side effects