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Diagnosis of Atypical Migraine Headaches

Atypical migraine headaches are migraines that cause symptoms other than those normally associated with migraines, such as pain on one side of the head and sensitivity to light and noise. They are also known as migraine variants or MVs.

  1. Warning

    • "Migraines for Dummies" warns that many symptoms of atypical migraines, such as loss of coordination, numbness, and problems seeing, are also symptoms of stroke, glaucoma, and other serious conditions. Doctors may insist on testing for those conditions first.

    Types

    • "Migraines for Dummies" lists several types of atypical migraines, including silent migraines (where head pain is absent but other symptoms are present) and vestibular migraine (where loss of balance is the main problem.)

    Family History

    • Some types of atypical migraine headaches, like familial hemiplegic migraine, often run in families. Knowing whether any other close family member has atypical migraines can help with a diagnosis.

    Process

    • There is no one specific test for an atypical migraine diagnosis. Doctors arrive at it through a process of eliminating other medical causes that can be tested.

    Time Frame

    • Any migraine type tends to have definite attack periods, when symptoms start and then stop. Other conditions tend not to come and go like most types of migraines, including atypical migraines.

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