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Migraines the Different Types

According to "Migraines for Dummies" by Diane Stafford and Jennifer Shoquist, M.D., over 28 million Americans suffer from migraines. But migraines are a very personal form of chronic pain. No two people with migraines seem to suffer from the exact same symptoms. It's important to know exactly what type of migraine you have to get proper treatment.

  1. Classic Migraine

    • "Migraines for Dummies" reports that only about 20 percent of people who suffer from migraines experience what are called "classic migraines." This happens with an "aura"--where a person has sudden problems with vision and/or hearing. Pain occurs on one side of the head and lasts from three to 72 hours. Other common symptoms with classic migraine include nausea, dizziness and extreme sensitivity to light, sound and sometimes smell. According to the Mayo Clinic, having all of these symptoms but without the aura is sometimes called a common migraine.

    Chemical Migraines

    • Migraines can be caused by taking a new medication or as a symptom of withdrawal from a medication or other chemical such as caffeine. People with migraines are in danger of developing medication rebound migraines. This is when a person takes a painkiller and then the body becomes dependent on having that painkiller at regular times. It also takes more and more of that painkiller to help ease migraine pain.

    Hormonal Migraines

    • Women suffer from migraines more than men do. One reason is because they experience a type of migraine called hormonal or menstrual migraines. According to "Menstrual Migraines" by Susan Hutchinson, this is thought to be due to a drop in the hormone estrogen. This estrogen drop happens just before a woman begins her period and it also happens when a woman experiences menopause.

    Exertion Migraines

    • Both men and women are susceptible to having migraines during exercise. This is called exertion migraine and can happen during any strenuous exercise, including sex, aerobics, weightlifting or even staining to have a bowel movement. If it happens very suddenly and very painfully, contact a doctor immediately.

    Unusual Types

    • One type of migraine is called "migraine without headache" or "silent migraine." This is similar to cyclic vomiting syndrome where periodically a person vomits and has terrible abdominal pain up to 24 hours but rarely any headache. Basilar migraines are due to a problem with the basilar artery in the back of the head and cause stroke-like symptoms. Hemiplegic migraines include not only migraine pain, but a loss of coordination on one side of the body.

    Warning

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, call a doctor immediately if you have a migraine that lasts over 72 hours; have your first migraine after the age of 50; or if the migraine is accompanied by symptoms such as stiff neck, fever, skin rash, coordination problems, vision problems or slurred speech. This could be a stroke, meningitis, glaucoma or a brain ailment.

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