Understanding and Treating your Migraine Headache Symptoms

If you are one of the millions of Americans who suffer from migraines, you know that the headache pain is only one part of the problem. Migraine headache symptoms affect the entire body in one way or another, and some of the symptoms can linger for hours or days after the headache subsides. Because migraines can be a rather debilitating condition with sufferers missing work and other events to lie in bed until the headache passes, it is important to understand all of the migraine headache symptoms that you might experience for the most effective treatment. Fortunately, there are a variety of methods that you can use to treat your various migraine symptoms to get you back on the road to good health as quickly as possible.

Ooh, the Pain!

If there is one thing that most migraine sufferers would agree upon, it is the fact that migraines are painful. A pain in the head is the most common migraine headache symptom. The pain is generally intense, and can be described as a throbbing or pounding on one side of the forehead around the temple. Occasionally, the pain can be felt at the front of the forehead, back of the head, or even at both temples at the same time. If you find that you are experiencing a frequent pain in one specific location, you should check with your doctor to rule out other causes of your headache. This pain can intensify through any kind of physical activity, which is why most migraine sufferers find that lying still seems to be the best treatment for the pain. Bright light and loud noises can also add to the intensity of the pain, so find a dark and quiet spot to nurse yourself back to health.

Other Migraine Symptoms

Other migraine headache symptoms that many sufferers complain of are a stomach upset in the form of nausea or diarrhea. Vomiting is not uncommon during a migraine episode, particularly if the headache originates from the back of the head. Dizziness, fatigue and cold hands and feet are also migraine headache symptoms that have been reported by patients. Vision disturbances know as "auras" are another common migraine headache symptom. These auras can present prior to the pain of the headache itself, and may diminish once the pain begins. Auras can come in a variety of disturbances including a blind spot that gradually enlarges, flashing lights or geometric patterns that appear in the vision field, or a zigzagging pattern around or inside of the blind spot. These auras can be present in one or both eyes, and in some cases will continue past the point of the actual headache.

Migraine headache symptoms can last anywhere from about four to 72 hours in duration. Post-migraine headache symptoms include fatigue, a dull headache, and continued sensitivity to light and sound.