Early Symptoms Of Migraine
Migraines typically present in the form of self-limited, recurrent severe headaches that are associated with autonomic symptoms. Statistics show that about 15–30% of patients with migraines experience these symptoms with an aura (a collection of autonomic symptoms), while less than 10% frequently have migraines without aura. The frequency of attacks, the severity of the pain, and the duration of the headache are variable. A migraine that lasts longer than 48-72 hours is called status migrainosus. There are four phases of a migraine attack, although not all are necessarily experienced.
- The prodrome phase that occurs hours or days before the attack
- The aura, a phase that immediately precedes the attack
- The pain or headache phase
- The postdrome phase, the effects usually experienced following the end of an attack
Studies have shown that migraines are associated with anxiety and major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder. These psychiatric problems are approximately 3–10 times more common in people with aura and 5–7 times more common in patients without aura.
Prodrome phase
Premonitory or prodromal symptoms occur in about 50-60% of people with migraines, with an onset of action that can range from one hour to forty-eight hours before the start of an attack. These symptoms include a wide variety of states, including fatigue, craving for certain food(s), altered mood, irritability, stiff muscles (especially in the neck), depression or euphoria, sensitivity to smells or noise, and constipation or diarrhea. This may occur in people with either migraine without aura or migraine with aura. Neuroimaging studies of the brain indicates the hypothalamus and the limbic system as the origin of premonitory symptoms in migraine.