| Most people think of a migraine as excruciating | | | | * irritability |
| pain, but a migraine episode is far more than pain. | | | | * neck muscle stiffness |
| Migraines typically have four stages: pre-headache, | | | | Aura - Phase #2 |
| aura, headache, and post-headache. Millions of | | | | As your painless migraine progresses, you enter |
| people globally suffer from these full-blown, | | | | phase #2 - the aura. This familiar phase lasts less |
| 4-stage migraines - but a minority experience | | | | than an hour in most cases, but can be terrifying. |
| painless episodes. So what are painless migraine | | | | Some of the bizarre symptoms and effects of |
| episodes? | | | | the aura are believed to have influenced Lewis |
| Technically, there is no such thing as a painless | | | | Carroll as he wrote "Alice in Wonderland." |
| migraine. That is, if you go by the International | | | | Most people think of aura as being only visual: |
| Headache Society's (IHS) Guidelines for diagnosis | | | | zigzag lines, spots in front of your eyes, or |
| and classification of headache disorders. Yet your | | | | flashing lights. They believe the aura phase affects |
| physician may tell you that yours is a painless | | | | only the eyes. This may explain the physician's |
| migraine. He or she may call it a painless, optical | | | | term, "painless, optical migraine." |
| migraine. | | | | It is true that these are typical aura symptoms, |
| What are painless migraine episodes? | | | | but the aura phase has many symptoms, including: |
| The answer is in the question. A painless migraine | | | | * auditory hallucinations - you hear sounds that |
| is a migraine episode that begins with the typical | | | | aren't there |
| pre-headache stage, progresses to the aura | | | | * confusion in thinking - things aren't making sense |
| phase of a migraine attack, and then stops short. | | | | * decrease in your hearing ability |
| It skips the headache phase - the pain. | | | | * difficult finding the words you want |
| If you have a painless migraine, you have the | | | | * dizziness |
| visual symptoms of the aura and other | | | | * increased feel and touch - or reduced feel and |
| symptoms of a migraine without the headache. | | | | touch |
| Such a migraine would usually be termed a | | | | * olfactory hallucinations - you smell odors that |
| migraine with aura. A physician following the IHS | | | | aren't there |
| guidelines would describe it as "acephalgic" - | | | | * partial paralysis |
| meaning "without headache." | | | | * sight loss - partial or blurry vision |
| Pre-headache - Phase #1 | | | | * tingling or numbness of your face |
| The pre-headache phase is sometimes referred | | | | * visual hallucinations - you see sights that aren't |
| to as the prodrome. This is where your painless | | | | there: flashing bright lights, wavy lines, spots, or |
| migraine episode begins. You may enter this stage | | | | zigzag lines |
| hours or even days before what would normally | | | | If you have a painless migraine, your episode |
| be recognized as a migraine episode. | | | | stops here. You do not go on to experience the |
| Recognizing the prodrome can be very helpful to | | | | throbbing pain. |
| you, since it is a warning. It is telling you that | | | | Other terms used for a painless migraine include |
| migraine changes are beginning to take place. How | | | | "migraine equivalent," "silent migraine," and |
| do you know? You may have some or all of the | | | | "sans-migraine." Even if you think yours is a |
| following symptoms. | | | | painless migraine, consult with your health-care |
| * constipation | | | | provider to be sure. Other serious conditions may |
| * diarrhea | | | | be present. |
| * depression | | | | Painless migraine episodes can be prevented in |
| * fatigue | | | | some cases, while others can be treated |
| * food cravings | | | | effectively. Turn your next painless migraine into |
| * frequent urination | | | | a non-event. |