According to the Mayo Clinic, migraines are persistent headaches that can cause severe pain for hours or days at a time. The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) says there are two types of migraines: one is a migraine with aura (common migraines) and the other is migraine without aura (classic migraines). A migraine with aura may cause flashes of light or blind spots prior to the onset of a headache. Migraines can occur sporadically or as regularly as a few times per month. The neurological symptoms of a migraine can be so intense that you may need to lie down to rest in quiet, dark place.
Warning Signs
A visual disturbance is a common neurological symptom of migraines with aura. You may see stars, crisscrossed lines or a temporary blind spot. Other warning signs of an impending migraine are thirst, sleepiness, depression or a strong urge to eat sweets.
Headache
In the vast majority of cases, the primary symptom of a migraine is a moderate to severe head pain. Frequently begins on one side of the head and moves to the other, the pain is usually limited to the temples (the side of the head behind the eyes). In some cases the pain will encompass the entire forehead, around the eyes and possibly extend to the back of the head. The throbbing and pounding pain that is common with migraines usually gets worse with physical activity.
Additional Symptoms
Migraine sufferers are highly sensitive to sound and light. That sensitivity may cause stomach upset (nausea and vomiting), loss of appetite, fatigue, numbness or weakness in parts of your body and irritability. Once the migraine passes, symptoms such as neck pain, sleepiness and lack of mental clarity may persist for a time.
