Migraines are not your normal headache. They are much stronger and cause pounding pain that can be felt on both sides of your head. Migraines are accompanied by several other symptoms that range from mild to severe.
Migraines are a complicated neurological condition that typically evolve through four stages. Before you experience the pain of a migraine, you can experience warning symptoms or signs that the migraine is about to occur. These warning signs are referred to as "auras" and are the second stage of the migraine. They can cause temporary disruption in several functions, including vision, hearing, speech and language, and muscle control.
Visual disturbances are the most common symptom for most people who suffer from migraines. If you experience more severe migraines, known as hemiplegic migraine, you can experience such extreme muscle weakness and paralysis that they cause a temporary paralysis (hemiplegia), similar to a stroke, on one side of your body.
Severe Migraine Symptoms
The stroke-like symptoms of this severe type of migraine can be debilitating. Symptoms last from five minutes to one hour and are more extreme during the aura stage. They include:
- Pulsating or throbbing pain
- Pain on one or both sides of your head
- A tingling, pins-and-needles feeling that moves from you hand up your arm
- Weakness or paralysis on one side of your body
- Loss of balance and coordination
- Visual aura, seeing zigzag lines, double vision, or blind spots
- Numbness on one side of your body, such as your arm, leg, and/or one side of your face
- Slurred speech
- Difficulty speaking or remembering words
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Extreme sensitivity to light, sound, and smell
- Confusion
- Nausea and vomiting
- Decreased consciousness or coma
