Little Known Effects of Migraines

If you’ve ever had a migraine, you know there’s nothing quite like it. The pain, sensitivity to light, and extreme nausea are only a few of the agonizing symptoms you might experience. Most of the time, while migraines are a pain, they’re usually not harmful. 

But migraines can have effects on your body that you may not think about.

At Integrated Body and Medicine, our goal is to help you get your migraines under control so you can finally get your life back. Our specialists are experts in many different kinds of treatments to get your pain under control and keep your body and mind healthy.

What is a migraine?

Nearly everyone has suffered from a headache at some point and experienced the discomfort it causes. But migraines are very different from your average headache. In fact, migraines are a neurological condition that causes a myriad of symptoms that are much more severe than a normal headache.

A migraine may come on suddenly, usually sparked by a trigger. A trigger is something that brings on your migraine, such as loud noises or pungent smells. A migraine may last for a few hours or keep you bed-bound for several days.

You may experience what’s called an aura before your migraine strikes. An aura is your body’s way of signaling you that a migraine is imminent. Auras take the form of speech issues or sensory changes, like visual changes or ear ringing.

Migraines may go through four separate stages, but not all migraines follow this pattern. The four stages are:

• Prodrome
• Aura
• Headache
• Postdrome

If you suffer from migraines that go through all of the above stages, it may take several days for you to get through them all. Everyone’s migraines are different, and understanding your symptoms helps you get the proper treatment.

Symptoms you might experience

A migraine typically causes pain in your head, usually on one side more than the other. But not all migraines lead to headache-like pain. There are a lot of other symptoms that you could experience. Some of the common symptoms of a migraine include:

• Light sensitivity
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fatigue
• Sensitivity to smells
• Sweating or chills
• Abdominal pain
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness

You may experience all of the above symptoms or only one. Each migraine may affect you differently, and your pain could shift to different areas of your head and even to your neck.

But migraines can cause more issues than just pain and light sensitivity. Chronic migraines occur often and have the ability to really affect the way you live your life.

Other effects on your body

Many migraines are harmless and don’t lead to any lasting issues. But there are rare types of migraines that lead to different effects on your body, some of which mimic other conditions.

With these types of migraines, it’s often difficult to tell if you’re suffering from a life-threatening condition or simply a migraine. 

One of these types of migraines is known as a hemiplegic migraine. While this type of migraine is rare, it produces symptoms that are very similar to those of a stroke. You may have paralysis on one side, or you could experience slurred speech.

Another type of migraine that causes strange effects on your body is a basilar migraine. This type of migraine affects your brain stem during the aura phase. It can produce such symptoms as fainting or loss of consciousness.

While most migraines are typical, certain migraines have different effects on your body, some of which are very scary because they mimic other conditions. If you have weakness, blurred vision, or suffer a seizure, you should get medical treatment right away.

Our team can help you determine what’s leading to your symptoms and how to best manage your migraines through a variety of different therapies.

Don’t keep suffering from migraines without help. Call our Highland, Indiana, office or schedule an appointment through our online system today.