Risk factors
As a risk factor, which are considered to favour the development of migraine:
Symptoms
Typical symptoms of migraine are:
- Hemiplegic headache
- Abdominal pain and nausea (80%)
- Vomiting (40%)
- Frequent start in the morning
- Duration several hours to days
- Pain character pulsating knocking
- Increase in complaints under stress
- Aura before the onset of migraine
- Light-shy (60%)
- Noise aversion (50%)
- Noise in the earTinitus
- Rare paralysis of arms and legs
- Frequency 1 – 2 times per month
- Pain behind the eye
Forms
Migraine with auraThis form of migraine is found in 10 – 20 % of all cases. Migraine without auraThis form is the most common. One finds typical migraine symptoms without having neurological deficits before the migraine.
Childhood migraineThe childhood migraine – or also called migraine in children – is characterized by some special features. The duration of the attack is usually shorter and the accompanying symptoms such as nausea and vomiting are often more pronounced than in adults. In some cases, pronounced neurological symptoms such as speech disorders or hallucinations are described in terms of an aura.
Status migränosusPer definition, migraine-typical headache lasts for more than 3 days. It responds particularly poorly to medication. Status migränosus is often described as a hormone withdrawal headache, in women during menstruation. Migraine without headacheSpecially at the onset of migraine, the typical migraine symptoms may occur without the typical hemiplegic headache. The full-blown migraine usually develops with further attacks.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis of a migraine disorder usually results from the patient’s medical history (anamnesis). Imaging procedures such as X-ray, CT or MRT are unobtrusive. In the early stages of migraine, positron emission tomography (PET) can detect increased blood flow in certain areas of the brain stem. This led to the theory that there is a migraine center. –>
