How to Know if You're Having a Migraine

Migraine symptoms are as varied as the triggers that cause them, making migraine headaches difficult to diagnose or treat. However, the first step to having your migraines diagnosed is to recognize the symptoms that might signal a migraine attack.

In this article, we'll discuss the different ways that you can identify possible migraine symptoms, as well as what might trigger migraines. But first, it's important to know exactly what a migraine is, and what it feels like.

What Does a Migraine Feel Like?

Migraine Overview

Migraines tend to present with deep pulsing pain. Migraine sufferers often describe the migraine feeling as 'my head trying to pound its way out of my skull'.

It can be on one side of your head, or on both sides. It's often accompanied by visual symptoms such as spots or bright lights.

Where Does a Migraine Hurt?

It can be the side of your head, but it doesn't have to be. The most common reported migraine location is behind the ears or in the temples. Severe migraines can be all-encompassing.

It can also move from one side of the head to the other.

What Symptoms Can Indicate a Migraine Attack?

There are several symptoms that can signal a migraine attack. Pain, sensitivity to light, weakness, confusion, and nausea are just some of them.

These symptoms can be divided into three stages of migraine attacks. Experts now refer to the stages of migraines as prodrome, attack, and postdrome.

The different stages are part of what constitutes the difference between headaches and migraines. Not every migraine sufferer goes through all of these stages, but even so, knowing the symptoms of each stage can help you recognize the difference between migraine pain and a different kind of head pain.

What Symptoms Come with Prodrome?

Prodrome symptoms rarely include pain. Instead, they include changes in energy levels or dietary needs.

Being aware of prodrome symptoms can help you avert or ease the symptoms of an actual migraine attack.

Sensitivity to Light

Sensitivity to light is one of the most commonly recognized prodrome symptoms. It can be accompanied by other symptoms, such as sensitivity to certain smells or sounds.

Increased light sensitivity is a clear migraine indicator. If it starts, find a way to avoid bright lights and other things that you believe might trigger your migraine.

Neck Pain

Neck pain or stiffness can occur during the prodrome phase. It's easy to dismiss this as tension, but it's something to be aware of.

If you have localized neck pain with no ready reason or pain that doesn't fade with painkillers or reduced tension, it can be a sign of prodrome.

Food Cravings and Mood Swings

Odd food cravings or lack of appetite can be prodrome symptoms. The body is attempting to counter an imbalance of some kind that is helping incite the migraine attack. Recognizing these cravings as precursors to migraine can help you mitigate or avoid a migraine attack.

Mood swings and irritability are other possible warning signs. All of these are signs that something is wrong and your body is trying to compensate.

Untreated imbalances in the chemicals of the brain are one of the most likely things to trigger migraines. It's a good idea to address them when they occur, to reduce or prevent the onset of a migraine. Untreated mood or mental health issues can impact all areas of your life, including migraine, so it is important to get appropriate treatment.

What Are Other Prodrome Symptoms?

Other symptoms you might encounter are fluid retention, constipation, or frequent yawning. Be aware of changes in your body so you can avoid acute migraine attacks. Keep a journal of changes to your health and discuss with your doctor at your next physical examination.

What Are the Symptoms of a Migraine Attack?

The most prevalent symptom is migraine pain. The pain of a migraine is often a deep throbbing sensation on one side of your head.

Migraine pain can vary in intensity and location. With acute migraine attacks, the place where a migraine begins isn't always where it stays.

What Are Symptoms of a Migraine besides Pain?

During a migraine, you can often experience symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, dizziness, weakness on one side, or confusion.

If you have a migraine with an aura, you may also experience tunnel vision and other visual symptoms such as spots, flashes, or lines that aren't there. In severe cases, you may even experience a temporary loss of vision.

Nausea and vomiting

These are the most common symptoms aside from pain. Migraine pain often triggers severe nausea. This can be worse if you're suffering dizziness or aura symptoms.

Weakness on one side

You may experience weakness on one side of the body, just as you experience pain on one side of your head. This can be a generalized weakness or more of a pins-and-needles feeling.

Weakness can affect one side of the body or both sides. It should fade as the migraine does.

You may also experience numbness in your face and arms or leg weakness.

Inability to Communicate Clearly

You may find yourself unable to speak clearly during the worst of the attack.

What Are The Postdrome Symptoms to Be Aware Of?

The postdrome symptoms usually include some residual weakness and mental confusion. You may also experience a mild headache if you move too quickly or spend too much time exposed to bright lights or loud noises.

While the postdrome may cause less pain, it's still a migraine. Any type of head pain you experience during the postdrome is a warning that you are not fully recovered.

What Can Trigger Migraines?

There are several common triggers. The most common trigger is stress.

Aside from stress or anxiety, hormonal changes and certain drugs can also trigger migraines.

Is There a Way to Tell If I Could Be More Prone to Migraines?

Some medical studies indicate that there are some genetic tendencies that can show a predisposition toward migraine pain.

Likewise, some types of head injuries can trigger a tendency to have migraines. There are clinical studies that may reveal other risk factors for having migraines.

What Are the Options for Migraine Treatment?

Removing yourself from the things that cause you pain and aggravate your migraine is a good first step.

There are plenty of over-the-counter medications you can use to help alleviate your migraine. However, if you suffer persistent migraine pain, you may want to consult a doctor for other methods of migraine treatment.

A severe migraine can last several days, with debilitating pain and other symptoms. If you experience these types of migraine often, you should definitely seek out professional forms of migraine treatment.

Clinical Trials in Tampa

If you believe you may have migraines or a migraine-related condition, you may want to investigate the paid clinical trials in Tampa.

These trials are open to a large age range and offer several benefits.

What Are the Benefits of Applying for Migraine Clinical Trials in Tampa?

You'll get access to top medical professionals in the migraine field. Experts will be available to answer any and all questions you have.

Experts can give you advice on how to know if you're having a migraine. Since symptoms often vary between individuals and individual migraines, this can be very helpful.

You'll get access to any new treatments that are developed. If a breakthrough in migraine treatment is made, you'll be one of the first to experience it.

Even if there are no major breakthroughs during your participation, you'll have access to different medicines and techniques that may help better manage your migraine. Even a reduction in pain can make any difficulties worth it.

What About Financial Considerations?

You can get monetary compensation for your time, effort, and travel expenses.

Also, if accepted into the trial, you'll get your medication and treatment for no cost. You also aren't required to have insurance to participate in the Tampa medical trials.

How Can I Apply to the Migraine Clinical Trials in Tampa?

Santos Research Center in Tampa is open to participants for our ongoing research on new medical interventions to treat migraine. To schedule an appointment with us, call (813) 249-9100 or visit www.santosresearch.com.