Types Of Headache
Some Rare Forms of Migraines
Basilar migraines
The basilar migraine, also
known as basilar artery migraine, is very rare, but potentially very
dangerous. It was previously thought to occur almost exclusively in
teenaged girls and young women, but later was acknowledged to occur in
both sexes and all ages. With the possibility of leading to strokes or
transient ischemic attack (TIA), symptoms include partial vision loss,
double vision, dizziness, vertigo, severe vomiting, slurred speech, loss
of coordination, numbness (on one or both sides of the body), weakness,
and general confusion. These symptoms generally subside with the onset
of the actual headache, though it is also possible that they can last
for several days after the pain goes away. .
Ocular migraines
This is a rare type of migraine—also known as a
retinal migraine—noted for repeated vision disturbances that includes
loss of vision in just one eye. This loss of vision can be partial or
complete and usually lasts less than an hour. Once these visual
disturbances go away, you may be left with a dull ache behind the eye
that lost vision. In some cases, your entire head may feel pain.
Hemiplegic
migraines
Hemiplegic migraines are usually genetic in nature, but
they have been known to occur in people with no family history of
migraines a all. Symptoms include temporary paralysis, or arm and leg
weakness on one side of the body, followed within the hour by the actual
headache. Unfortunately, the paralysis or weakness does not necessarily
subside when the head pain does. Hemiplegic migraines usually develop
during childhood.
Ophthalmoplegic migraines
Ophthalmoplegic
migraines cause pain around the eye and paralysis in the muscles that
surround the eye. Other symptoms include droopy eyelid, double vision
and vision problems. Actually, ophthalmoplegic migraines are considered
an inflammation of the nerve, and therefore a type of neuritis, which
makes them suspect as even being a true migraine. Usually diagnosed in
children, these migraines often last for extended periods of time,
sometimes as long as months at a time, therefore a complete physical
exam is necessary to eliminate the possibility of the symptoms are
caused by something more serious.
Status migrainosus
Status
migrainosus is a description of a migraine attack that lasts longer than
seventy-two hours and can often lead to more serious problems such as
dehydration. The pain and nausea associated with status migrainosus can
reach such a high level of intensity that patients often require
hospitalization. Certain medications, or even medication withdrawal,
often cause this type migraine syndrome. Should you find yourself at
this level of migraine suffering, the best step is immediately get to
the emergency room where treatment will consist of fluids through an IV
and pain medication.
Abdominal migraines
Abdominal
migraines are a breed apart from traditional migraines because they also
cause pain in the stomach as well as the head, resulting in nausea and
vomiting. Quite often abdominal migraines are diagnosed in children who
often outgrow the abdominal part, but remain afflicted with traditional
headache migraines. Abdominal migraines are often treated with
anticonvulsant drugs like propranolol, also known by the brand names
Inderal and Deralin.
Women-only migraines
While the
majority of migraine sufferers are women, some migraines are
specifically associated with the hormonal oscillations only experienced
by women. Migraines are commonly linked to menstruation and, in
addition, many women only suffer migraines when they are taking an oral
contraceptives. Hormone replacement therapy has been linked to migraines
in women who are undergoing menopause or are already past menopause.
Paradoxically, many older women have hormone replacement therapy related
headaches, while other women who suffered through pre-menopausal
migraines report their cessation following menopause.
Most of
these migraines should be considered very rare and highly unlikely to
develop, yet the seriousness of all of them is enough to cause an
immediate physician exam should you feel you are indeed suffering from
them.