The various symptoms of migraines occur in a series of stages that are all too familiar to many migraine sufferers. The symptoms of migraines in the first stage, called prodromal symptoms, occur in 40% to 60% of migraine sufferers. The symptoms of migraines in this phase include altered mood, irritability, depression or euphoria, fatigue, yawning, excessive sleepiness, craving for certain foods such as chocolate, stiff muscles (in the neck), constipation or diarrhea, or increased urination. These symptoms tend to precede the headache phase of the migraine by a few hours or even days. People who experience migraines on a regular basis often pay attention to these symptoms in order to deal more effectively with the coming migraine.
About 30% of migraine sufferers experience migraine with aura. The symptoms include focal neurological phenomena right before or during the attack. These symptoms materialize over 5 to 20 minutes and usually don’t last very long. The migraine starts 60 minutes or so after the aura phase, although sometimes it may not show up for a few hours. In some cases it may not even appear. Symptoms of migraines during the aura stage can be visual, sensory, or motor in nature.
Visual aura is one of the neurological symptoms of migraines. This involves experiencing a visual disturbance of unformed flashes of white or sometimes of multicolored lights (photopsia) or formations of brilliant zigzag lines. This is referred to as scintillating scotoma. Some patients may also experience blurred or cloudy vision, almost like peering through thick glass. At this stage tunnel vision may also occur as one of the symptoms of migraine. The somatosensory aura of migraine gives you a pins-and-needles feeling in the hand, arm, and nose-mouth area. It always begins in the arm and then travels toward the face, lips and tongue.
Symptoms of migraines during the pain phase include unilateral throbbing and pain. The symptoms of migraines during the postdromal phase include feelings of exhaustion and moodiness, but some people actually feel refreshed and euphoric.
Luckily for chronic migraine sufferers, there is a natural remedy containing butterbur extract. It is a natural and safe way to help prevent migraines and you won’t have to suffer anymore with the symptoms of migraines.