Migraine Defense Works for All Types of Migraines
      ... allowing you to live a migraine-free life.

Migraines are painful no matter how you classify, type, or name them. Although learning what type of headache you have may be comforting in some way, the bottom line is always what can be done to stop them from happening - and that is what we want to do for you.

Migraine. The term "migraine" refers to a specific type of headache characterized by a throbbing, sharp pain that usually affects one side of the head (see Migraine Research). Other symptoms of migraines are aura, nausea, and vomiting. Bright lights, loud noises and certain smells can make a migraine worse.

Diagnosing Migraines. If your headaches are bad enough to keep you out of work, you should get a medical evaluation. Diagnosing migraines can be tricky as there are no blood tests for them, and they can't be detected on a CT scan or an MRI. Call us at 1-866-367-5953 for more information.

Genetic. Migraine is a genetic condition and a family history is very common. The migraine syndrome is estimated to affect at least ten percent of the population. Women account for about 80% of the people who have a migraine condition.

General Symptoms. The pain experienced during migraines varies from person to person. Migraines sometimes start off with visual disturbances known as auras. A migraine sufferer, for example, may see flashing zigzag lines or blank spots. Migraines with auras are often referred to as classic migraines, and those without aura are called common migraines.

The migraine occurs as a type of vascular condition headache that is usually characterized by the following:

• severe pain on one or both sides of the head
• nausea and/or vomiting
• aura or disturbed vision
• and intolerance to light

The symptoms of migraine headaches may resemble other conditions or medical problems.

Most Common Classifications of Migraines

The three most common classifications of migraine attacks are:

• With Aura or Classic Migraine Aura is a type of migraine that involves the appearance of neurological symptoms, called an aura (flashing lights or zigzag lines, or temporary loss of vision) 10 to 30 minutes before an attack. An attack may last one or two days. Other aura classic migraine symptoms may include:
  • difficulty with speech
  • weakness of an arm or leg
  • tingling of the face or hands
  • confusion
  
  Pain associated with aura classic migraines is often described as intense throbbing or pounding felt in the forehead, temple area, facial area, or around the eye(s). Pain may feel as though it starts in one area and travels to another, where pain becomes more intense.
  
  
• Without Aura or Common Migraine is a type of migraine that is generally not preceded by an aura, although there may be a variety of symptoms prior to its onset. Common migraine pain may last three or four days. Symptoms may include:
  • mental fuzziness, mood changes, fatigue, unusual retention of fluids, diarrhea and increased urination
  • nausea and vomiting
    


• Atypical Migraine (aura with dull or no headache)

There are several Types of Migraine Headaches

Aside from the classification of migraines there are types of headaches including:

• Vestibular Migraines
  Dizziness as a symptom of migraine is a common and often ignored cause of balance disorders. These headaches are often preceded for a variable time by associated neurological symptoms, called the aura. Dizziness and vertigo can occur in individuals with migraine as part of the migraine aura or separately. Furthermore, dizziness may not occur at the same time as the headache and can even occur as an isolated event. Particularly in younger patients, dizziness or vertigo may predate the onset of headaches entirely.



• Hemiplegic Migraine - The symptoms, which include temporary paralysis on one side of the body (Hemiplegic), vision problems, and vertigo, begin 10 to 90 minutes before the onset of headache pain.



• Optical Migraine (Ophthalmoplegic) - Symptoms include pain around the eye, sometimes with a droopy eyelid, double vision, and other sight problems.



• Basilar Migraine - Pre-headache symptoms may include vertigo, double vision, and poor muscular coordination.



• Vertigo or Vertiginous Migraine essentially aura without headache consists of spells of vertigo, that can lasts from minutes to hours.



• Benign Exertional Headache - This headache begins at the onset of activity, with pain rarely lasting for more than several minutes and is generally brought on by running, lifting, coughing, sneezing, or bending.



• Status Migrainosus - This is a rare and severe type of migraine that can last 72 hours or longer. Pain and nausea with this headache are often so intense that hospitalization may be necessary.



• Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS) is now being looked at and considered to be a possible form of migraine. It is an unexplained functional digestive disorder characterized by recurrent, prolonged attacks of severe nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain resulting in decreased quality of life for both children & adults.



• Hemicrania Continua - Hemicrania continua is a type of daily headache first described in the early 1980s. It is characterized by the symptoms noted by this patient: persistent pain on one side of the head interspersed with episodes of much more severe pain that is often described as sharp or stabbing. The episodes are usually accompanied by other facial symptoms, including watery eyes, runny nose, eyelid swelling or constriction of the pupil. Most patients with this type of headache improve when treated with indomethacin. A hemicrania continua headache will sometimes respond to other anti-inflammatory drugs — but response to indomethacin, in particular, is a defining characteristic of the syndrome. It’s seen more commonly in women than in men and most commonly comes on in a patient’s 20s, though these headaches can start at any age.

Back to Top of Page

Tuliv® and Migraine Defense® are registered trademarks of Tuliv Ltd. Co. Copyright ® 2004-2010 Tuliv Ltd. Co. All rights reserved.