Five Surprising Migraine Symptoms

Migraine is a neurological disease with symptoms that involve the entire body and not just the head. Many people do not realize that it involves many other symptoms and not just a severe headache. Here are five symptoms you may not have realized were a part of your migraine. These can occur while you are having an active migraine attack with a headache or in between as a more chronic symptom.

1- Allodynia: This is a symptom where regular sensations feel painful. Many women with migraine will notice that they are unable to keep their hair up in a ponytail for too long or will feel like wearing jewelry or glasses can be painful. This is due to sensitization of the peripheral nerves in the scalp and rest of the body. This can be a sign that your migraines are becoming chronic.

2- Brain Fog: This is a symptom many patients notice that can occur in between their headaches with migraine attacks. It can be a feeling of confusion or trouble focusing. It can feel like they are not able to concentrate well or slightly dazed. It can be a very difficult symptom to treat and describe.

3- Déjà vu: This is a feeling that they have already been in a situation or place when that is not the case. It can be a strange feeling and difficult to understand. It is not clear if this is a part of their migraine attacks. It can also be a symptom of a pending seizure, therefore it is thought to be due to hyperactivity in certain areas of the brain.

4- GI upset: Bouts of constipation and diarrhea are common and can travel with migraine. Many patients may not realize that this is a migraine symptom and may think that they are allergic or sensitive to certain foods.

5- Visual Snow: This is a very poorly understood phenomenon seen more commonly in patients with migraine. It can occur alone as it is a neurological disorder or with migraine. There is a constant visual disturbance in their entire visual field. Patients describe that they constantly feel like they are looking at a TV with static or with floaters. It can be a very difficult symptom to treat and can occur even in between migraine attacks.