Can You Have a Migraine Without Pain?

Sometimes called a "silent" migraine, there are migraine sufferers who have many of the symptoms of a migraine without the telltale head pain.

Migraine Phases

• Migraines have four distinctive phases: the first phase includes the warning symptoms; the second phase the aura; the third phase the head pain; and the fourth phase the "hangover" and after-migraine symptoms. Essentially, a person with "silent" migraines skips the head pain phase.

Symptoms

• Even without the head pain, "silent" migraine sufferers experience aura, physical and emotional symptoms that can impact their quality of life. Not everyone will have the same set of symptoms, and symptoms differ among migraines for the same person.

Aura Symptoms

• Aura symptoms include seeing wavy or jagged lines, blind spots, tunnel vision and other visual disturbances. Aura is not necessarily visual with some people having hearing problems, smelling problems, numbness or difficulty speaking.

Physical Symptoms

• Physical symptoms of a migraine can occur during any phase. They include nausea, vomiting, numbness, changes in appetite, loss of movement in a limb, dizziness, diarrhea, thirst and fatigue.

Emotional Symptoms

• Many migraine sufferers have emotional symptoms--such as depression, anxiety, irritability and euphoria--either in the first or final phase of a migraine headache.