Migraines can last from one hour to a few weeks. Some victims have chronic migraines, which never completely go away. Those victims suffer more from cycles of intensification and recession of pain, but rarely ever feel “normal”. However, most migraineurs (people with migraines) do not have chronic migraines. They have periodic attacks where the pain and other symptoms clearly stop at some point.
Each migraine attack has its own length of time. Migraineurs often can’t predict how long a particular attack will take. Sometimes it will be two hours and sometimes two weeks.
Warning Signs
Migraine symptoms can begin before the pain actually starts. It’s during this time when you should take an over the counter painkiller or a prescription painkiller in order to lessen the impact of the oncoming attack. Over time, you begin to recognize these warning symptoms that your body sends out to you.
Symptoms experienced by migraineurs before an attack include (but are not limited to):
Sudden irritability with no known cause
Visual auras, where you see flashes, blurs or hallucinations in one or in both eyes
Aural hallucinations, where you hear things that aren’t there, such as a ringing or buzzing in one or both ears
Sudden extreme sensitivity to light, sounds or smells
Slight pressure behind or directly over one eye
The First Attacks
Migraines typically start during a person’s twenties, although they can happen at any age. These attacks are very frightening because they seemingly come out of nowhere. You almost feel as if a tiny terrorist is living in your head. Panic and confusion can add to the pain, nausea and dizziness you may already feel from the migraine. This can often make the first few migraine attacks you have the worst and the longest because you are not already looking out for your body’s warning signs.
Keeping A Migraine Journal
Migraine warning signs can differ from person to person. In order to discover your own, it’s good to keep a journal or diary of your attacks. Note what you ate, if you had enough sleep, what medication you’ve taken, what the weather was like and (if a woman) what time of the month it is. There are free programs available on the Internet to download such journals.
If you do keep a migraine journal, be sure to make a copy and let your doctor read it. This can help with discovering your migraine triggers, like the weather. Often, people prone to migraines get an attack when the barometric pressure drops directly before a storm. If this happens to you on a consistent basis, then you and your doctor know that you have discovered a trigger.
Other triggers can include hormonal changes (especially for women), sleep deprivation, caffeine withdrawal, eyestrain, certain foods like aged cheeses or smelling cigarette smoke.
References:
“Migraines For Dummies.” Diane Stafford and Jennifer Shoquist, MD. For Dummies; 2003
“Menstrual Migraine.” Susan Hutchinson, et al. Oxford University Press; 2008.
MAGNUM: The National Migraine Association: “Treatment & Management.” http://www.migraines.org/treatment/
National Headache Foundation. “Headache Diary.” http://www.headaches.org/For_Professionals/Headache_Diary
Author also has suffered from migraines for over 20 years
