What are Painless Migraine Episodes?
What Are Painless Migraine Episodes?
Most people think of a migraine as excruciating pain, but a migraine episode is far more than pain. Migraines typically have four stages: pre-headache, aura, headache, and post-headache. Millions of people globally suffer from these full-blown, 4-stage migraines - but a minority experience painless episodes. So what are painless migraine episodes?
Technically, there is no such thing as a painless migraine. That is, if you go by the International Headache Society's (IHS) Guidelines for diagnosis and classification of headache disorders. Yet your physician may tell you that yours is a painless migraine. He or she may call it a painless, optical migraine.
What are painless migraine episodes?
The answer is in the question. A painless migraine is a migraine episode that begins with the typical pre-headache stage, progresses to the aura phase of a migraine attack, and then stops short. It skips the headache phase - the pain.
If you have a painless migraine, you have the visual symptoms of the aura and other symptoms of a migraine without the headache. Such a migraine would usually be termed a migraine with aura. A physician following the IHS guidelines would describe it as "acephalgic" - meaning "without headache."
Pre-headache - Phase #1
The pre-headache phase is sometimes referred to as the prodrome. This is where your painless migraine episode begins. You may enter this stage hours or even days before what would normally be recognized as a migraine episode.
Recognizing the prodrome can be very helpful to you, since it is a warning. It is telling you that migraine changes are beginning to take place. How do you know? You may have some or all of the following symptoms.
* constipation
* diarrhea
* depression
* fatigue
* food cravings
* frequent urination
* irritability
* neck muscle stiffness
Aura - Phase #2
As your painless migraine progresses, you enter phase #2 - the aura. This familiar phase lasts less than an hour in most cases, but can be terrifying. Some of the bizarre symptoms and effects of the aura are believed to have influenced Lewis Carroll as he wrote "Alice in Wonderland."
Most people think of aura as being only visual: zigzag lines, spots in front of your eyes, or flashing lights. They believe the aura phase affects only the eyes. This may explain the physician's term, "painless, optical migraine."
It is true that these are typical aura symptoms, but the aura phase has many symptoms, including:
* auditory hallucinations - you hear sounds that aren't there
* confusion in thinking - things aren't making sense
* decrease in your hearing ability
* difficult finding the words you want
* dizziness
* increased feel and touch - or reduced feel and touch
* olfactory hallucinations - you smell odors that aren't there
* partial paralysis
* sight loss - partial or blurry vision
* tingling or numbness of your face
* visual hallucinations - you see sights that aren't there: flashing bright lights, wavy lines, spots, or zigzag lines
If you have a painless migraine, your episode stops here. You do not go on to experience the throbbing pain.
Other terms used for a painless migraine include "migraine equivalent," "silent migraine," and "sans-migraine." Even if you think yours is a painless migraine, consult with your health-care provider to be sure. Other serious conditions may be present.
Painless migraine episodes can be prevented in some cases, while others can be treated effectively. Turn your next painless migraine into a non-event.
Related Tags: migraine, migraine headache, migraine headache symptoms, migraine headache causes, migraine headache treatment, migraine headache relief
2007 Anna Hart. As sister to a migraine sufferer, Anna can sympathize with your problem. Read more of her articles about migraine headaches and their treatment at: http://www.migrainereliefblog.com.
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Relieve Back Pain From Spinal Stenosis, Herniated Disc With Laser Spine Surgery
Do you suffer from chronic back and neck pain? Do you need surgery, but you're afraid of invasive pr - Issues And Advantages Of Hemorrhoid Medical Procedures
Hemorrhoid surgery is what people resort to if other therapies have failed. Surgical elimination fre - Anyone Can Be Affected By Lyme Disease Symptoms
Lyme Disease is a tricky one to diagnose. It is incredibly easy to contract due to the size of the t - Are You Sick?
Symptoms for Lyme disease are numerous. A portion of these are very apparent. Some are more subtle a - Acne Curing Techniques - Natural Methods
This writeup suggests yet more ways of clearing your acne for good. Water helps flush the body of to - What Are The Symptoms Of Kidney Problems?
Although many kidney problem symptoms share a variety of similarities, there are still variations de - Herpes - Treating The Pain
A herpes infection can be a very painful experience. This can also affect you physiologically, emoti - Personal Care Of Lung's Health: Avoiding Cancer
Cancer can be in the form of many names. It can affect even the smallest bone or muscle inside the h - Acid Reflux Disease - The Causes, Symptoms And Treatments
Acid reflux, or gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a condition that produces abnormal reflu - What Will Happen If Gout Or High Uric Acid Is Left Untreated
Gout is not just a is toe pain that comes and goes, gout is a warning that sign that your body is un
Most viewed articles in this category:
- How to Cure Candida with Acidophilus
If you are having Candida, you need to know about acidophilus as it might help you with your conditi - The Symptoms Of Anorexia And Bulimia Nervosa
One of the most notable symptoms of anorexia and bulimia is the fast and excessive loss of weight. T - Self Care Tips For People With Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease can be overwhelming for many people who have it. Not only must patients face the - Common Wart Removal Doctor
Most common wart removal doctor or dermatologists are not only dealing with common warts but also wa - Crohn's Disease and You
If you have recently been diagnosed with Crohn's disease or another Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) - Codliver Oil to Remove Skin Moles and Warts
The use of codliver oil to remove skin moles and warts is noted however this is less popular as comp - Early Warning Signs of Parkinson's Disease - What To Look For
Parkinson's disease develops when the neurons of the substantia nigra in the brain become progressiv - Leaky Gut Syndrome, Celiac Disease, Crohn's Disease, and Colitis Linked to Altered Gut Permeability
Leaky gut syndrome:Leaky gut syndrome is a term often used in complementary or alternative medicine - Acid Reflux Disease Diet
Acid Reflux is becoming a common problem these days due to the changing life styles and poor eating - Viral Infection Headache From Meningitis
A viral infection headache can come from different types of viruses. The concern about having such