| "Silent migraine" is an unusual name for a chronic | | | | nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite or food |
| illness. People are used to saying or hearing a | | | | cravings, thirst, fatigue, increased urination, chills, |
| scientific term when referring to a medical | | | | confusion, irritability and a feeling of euphoria. The |
| condition. Accordingly, the names of the different | | | | most obvious symptom of silent migraine is the |
| types of migraine give clue to its believed cause | | | | aura, which is a visual disturbance that is felt by |
| or source, or nature. Silent migraine, however, is a | | | | the sufferer. When experiencing aura, he sees |
| curious name because sound is not something | | | | one or more of the following: wavy or jagged |
| associated that with migraine. Nevertheless, it is a | | | | lines, flashing lights, dots and blind spots. Together |
| disease that affects quite a number of people and | | | | with the aura, the patient might also go through |
| for this reason, it needs to be understood. | | | | distortions in sounds, smell or taste, numbness or |
| Silent migraine is also known as acephalgic | | | | tingling sensations in other parts of the body or |
| migraine, eye migraine, visual migraine, ocular | | | | speech difficulties. |
| migraine. Experts, however, refer to it as migraine | | | | Experts believe that a silent migraine is caused by |
| aura without headache. To better understand it, | | | | abnormal nerve cell activity in the brain. Auras |
| one needs to be familiar with the four stages of a | | | | result when there is overstimulation and then |
| typical migraine attack. The initial stage is called | | | | depression of the activities of these nerve cells. |
| the prodrome. It is the time when warnings of an | | | | The reduction of activity spreads across the |
| attack start to appear, such as irritability or | | | | brain, starting from the visual part to the other |
| confusion, diarrhea, thirst and food cravings. The | | | | parts which affect bodily sensation and hearing. |
| next phase is the aura, a time when visual | | | | This chain reaction is started by certain events or |
| symptoms are felt. During this stage, other | | | | substances called triggers. Identified triggers for |
| physical manifestations could also arise. These | | | | silent migraine include stress, inadequate sleep, |
| include slurred speech, tingling sensations or | | | | skipped meals, caffeine, alcohol, changes in |
| numbness and difficulty in moving. The pain then | | | | weather, certain food, hormonal changes, bright |
| proceeds after this phase, which could last up to | | | | lights and loud noises. |
| seventy-two hours. When this is over, sufferers | | | | Mild or moderate attacks of silent migraine do not |
| will feel very tired for a day or so. Not all | | | | need treatment except rest. For more severe |
| migraineurs go through all the four stages during | | | | episodes, aspirin, beta-blockers and drugs classified |
| an attack. Some migraines occur without the aura | | | | as beta-agonist inhalant, are prescribed. Like the |
| and some have episodes without the pain. This is | | | | other forms of migraine, the best treatment is |
| what happens with a silent migraine. | | | | prevention the natural way. This involves no drugs |
| Like the other migraine types, silent migraine has | | | | but requires good self-care. This is the option that |
| its own set of symptoms consisting of diarrhea, | | | | most migraine sufferers ought to consider. |