Lower-half Headache or Facial Migraine
Also known as carotidynia and applies to a common migraine that causes severe pain lasting from minutes to hours (frequency – several times per week) that covers one-half of the face involving the nostril, cheek and jaw. The presence of tenderness and swelling over the carotid artery in the neck also may occur. This type of migraine is more common in older people.
Migraine Aura without Headache
This is when the attacks are referred to as migraine aura without headache. This type of migraine is rare thus a doctor should be consulted if this develops for the first time when over 50. An aura involves visual disturbances such as shimmering light around objects or at the edges of the field of vision. It can cause temporary vision loss.
Migraine without Aura
This migraine is characterised by a throbbing pain that occurs on one or both sides of the head in association with nausea and vomiting and sensitivity to light. Some may experience fatigue or mood changes the day before the headache.
Migraine with Aura
This migraine is characterised by an aura that occurs 10-30 minutes before the headache with visual disturbances such as bright shimmering lights around objects or at the edge of vision, wavy lines or temporary vision loss or no visual which include numbness or tingling, weakness and speech abnormalities.
Status Migrainosus
This term describes migraine that may last longer than 72 hours. Symptoms of nausea and light sensitivity resolve after a couple of days but the headache persists. This type of migraine is rare and can affect children and adults, although it is more common in adults. Status migraine is a serious condition that causes intense pain and other migraine symptoms that persist. It often requires treatment in a hospital.
Basilar Artery Migraine
This type of migraine is rare and occurs primarily in young adults, affecting more woman than men. Symptoms include severe headaches, visual disturbances (double vision), giddiness, and dizziness, loss of balance, slurred speech, and poor muscle coordination followed by aching mainly in the back of the head. Fainting can occur at the height of the attack.
Ocular Migraine
Also known as an Ophthalmoplegic migraine is a severe headache which is felt behind one eye. As the migraine continues the eyelid of the affected eye droops (ptosis). This may last for days or weeks. Nerves that are responsible for eye movement may also be affected accompanied by vomiting.
Abdominal Migraine
This migraine is most common in families that have a history of migraine headaches. The symptoms can last up to 72 hours with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting being the most common symptoms. In children a flushed or pale appearance is a common symptom. Abdominal migraines that occur in children indicate that they may develop typical migraines as they grow older.
Menstrual Migraine
Menstrual migraines are related to hormone levels-particularly oestrogen. For about 60% of women who have migraines, headaches develop just before, during or after a menstrual period or during ovulation. For some, symptoms may improve during pregnancy and for others migraines can first develop during pregnancy or after menopause.
Hemiplegic Migraine
Symptoms resemble a stroke and may progress until the arm and leg on one side are completely paralysed for a few hours. Repeated attacks may leave a residual weakness. Familial hemiplegic migraine occurs where there is a family history of hemiplegic migraine.
Ophthalmoplegic Migraine (with double vision)
Symptom is paralysis of one or more of the muscles moving the eyes resulting in the eyes moving out of alignment and the person seeing double.
Retinal Migraine (with loss of vision in one eye)
Symptom is loss of sight in one eye and normal vision in the other. The sight clears leaving an ache behind the eye or a generalised headache.
Migrainous Infarction
Symptoms range from permanent blind spots to a full stroke occurring during a typical migraine attack. An infarct is the death of tissue due to an inadequate blood supply.
