Migraines are a neurological condition that inflicts throbbing or pounding head pain. Somebody you know might be suffering from it. The pain from migraines focuses on only one side of the head, but in a third of migraine cases, it occurs on both sides.

Here is a list of migraine symptoms:

• Dizziness
• Blurry vision
• Sensitivity to sound, light, sound, certain smells
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stiff neck or neck pains

Migraines affect people in different ways. Some migraine attacks cause crippling pain that can last for hours, or in some cases, even days. Suffering from migraines can be so bad that you would be unable to do your regular daily routines.

The way the brainstem works and its communication with the trigeminal nerve, a major pain pathway, can push the development of migraines. A chemical imbalance can result in migraines. A hormone in the body called serotonin helps regulate the nervous system. However, serotonin seems to drop during migraine attacks. As a result, this causes the trigeminal nerve to produce neuropeptides that travel to the brain’s outer covering and trigger migraines.

Migraine Facts

• Around 17% of individuals will have at least one migraine attack in their lifetime. In other words, over a billion people will experience a migraine episode.
• Migraines are the 3rd most widespread illness globally.
• As high as 25% of women will suffer from migraines at some point in life.
• The general period for migraines to occur is between the ages of 25 and 50.
• About 5% percent of adolescents experience a migraine episode before age 15, and of them, a third already had a migraine before age 5!
• Migraines run in the family. About 90% of migraineurs have a family history of the disorder. 
• More than 90% of migraineurs cannot function normally during their migraine attacks.
• There was a study in the 1980s that pointed out that the number of people with migraines was up by 60%. The shocking part was that most of the people didn’t even know they had a migraine attack. They thought it was just a sinus headache.

What Are the Different Types of Migraines?

For some rare cases, migraines can trigger problems in other parts of the body and cause other symptoms aside from the typical head pain and visual challenges. Below are different types of migraines:

• Chronic Migraines

Migraines are chronic when you experience them for more than 15 days in a month or they occur almost every day.

Menstrual Migraines

These migraines are coinciding with a woman’s menstrual cycle and the fluctuating hormones that accompany it. More than 50% of women with migraines testify having a flare-up of symptoms just before their monthly period. They can be harsher and may last longer than migraines felt at other times during the month.

Abdominal Migraines

Abdominal migraines mostly affect children, and they last from an hour up to 72 hours. Their symptoms include nausea, flushing, and vomiting. In addition, they may sometimes include clumsiness, attention deficit problems, and delayed development.

Ocular Migraines

Also called ophthalmic or retinal migraines, they involve frequent visual disturbances, blindness on one side of the visual field, or blind spots. They last between a minute and an hour and regularly occur right before a migraine begins.

• Hemiplegic Migraines

They are migraines that only affect one side of the body. People who suffer from them often experience paralysis or weakness, problems with vision and speech, and other symptoms similar to a stroke. They are generally temporary but may extend as long as a few days. There are two types of hemiplegic migraines:

• Familial: This is an inherited genetic migraine disorder
• Sporadic: This happens to people without a family history or genetic disorder 

• Ophthalmoplegic Migraines

Migraines of this type are most common in young adults and children. The migraine attacks begin as intense pain behind the eyes combined with double vision or paralysis of the eye muscles. As a result, they cause a droopy eyelid and may also include vomiting and seizures. It is crucial to rule out an aneurysm when ophthalmoplegic migraines occur.

• Basilar Migraines

These migraines cause vertigo and dizziness before the head pain happens. Other symptoms include slurred speech, ringing in the ears, syncope, loss of balance, and loss of consciousness before the head pain starts. These symptoms are mostly seen often in adolescent girls and young women.

• Vertebrobasilar Migraines

These are the kind of migraines that are preceded by vertigo. They occur due to an issue in the lower part of the brain.

• Status Migrainosus

It is a rare type of migraine. You may get hospitalized because the pain can be so intense and may even last for more than 72 hours. This condition can also cause dehydration from extended bouts of nausea and vomiting.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Relieves Any Type of Migraine

Various types of migraines have long shown a connection to a misalignment in the vertebrae of the upper cervical spine, either of the atlas (C1) or axis (C2). Upper cervical chiropractors perform an exact and gentle technique that realigns the bones naturally.

Once proper alignment of the bones returns, communication between the brain and body goes back to full function. In short, it repairs any previous damage due to the misalignment. Many patients report relief from their migraines in just a few visits. Most of them experience a significant reduction in their symptoms, or even better, total elimination of their migraine symptoms. 

Seek upper cervical care today. Use our search button to browse for an upper cervical chiropractor nearest you. May you have hope and healing soon.

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