Migraine without aura is one of the two major types of migraines. Nearly 75% of the people who experience migraines do not experience an accompanying aura before the onset of their headache. This kind of migraine is also sometimes called a “Common Migraine”.
Migraines can be debilitating in some patients and last for days or even weeks, while in other patients, they might only last for a few hours with mild symptoms. Migraines can also vary widely in their symptoms and severity, even in those who suffer from them on a regular basis.
The most common symptoms of a migraine without aura are:
Migraines are not well understood at this time. It is thought that migraines are caused by the stretching of the blood vessels in the brain. Many migraine sufferers are asked to journal about their daily diet and activities to try and isolate common triggers for their headaches. The triggers for migraine sufferers can vary widely and can also be inconsistent. Migraines can also be associated with oestrogen levels in the blood, making them more common in women.
Risk factors can include being female, suffering from other health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, or having previous spinal injuries or diseases of the spine. Both men and women suffer from migraines, and all migraine sufferers report a wide range of migraine experiences during each unique migraine. Risk factors can be hard to isolate for migraine, and even a familial history of this condition does not indicate that you yourself will suffer from migraines.
Migraines are often diagnosed based on a description of the symptoms that were experienced by the patient. These include:
Your doctor might order additional tests like a CT scan or an MRI to help rule out possible reasons for your migraines, like tumours or other spinal and brain conditions. Brain bleeds, strokes, and neurological conditions often need to be ruled out to get an accurate migraine diagnosis.
Migraine treatment often involves the use of pain medications, but there are also medications that can help to reduce the severity of the migraine itself.
Some medications can also help prevent migraines:
Many migraine sufferers find that resting in a dark and quiet room helps with the pain of a migraine, and massage therapy and acupuncture can also sometimes alleviate the root cause of migraines. Getting enough sleep and avoiding stress can also assist in preventing migraines for many people.
Some migraine sufferers find that tracking their diet and exercise can also help them identify triggers that cause migraines. While these kinds of triggers might not be entirely consistent, it is still likely that a pattern will develop between certain activities and migraines. Lack of sleep, hormone fluctuations, alcohol and caffeine, and some other medications might also be the cause of migraines for some patients. Changing routines and medications can greatly help to reduce the incidence of migraines in many patients.