Can you believe there are 16 types of migraines? Have you even given much thought to it? You probably imagine that they range from a dull throb that doesn’t require pain relievers to excruciating pain that could merit a trip to the emergency room. So hold on to your seats and let’s learn a little more about all these different types of migraines — and while doing so, think about what type you might suffer from.
Interesting tidbit. While there are 16 classifications of migraine, some of them don’t even involve head pain at all!
I’m going to give you the lowdown on these different types of headaches and migraine, plus check out the links I’m sharing so you can get more information on each one.
Migraine
As you know, migraine is most assuredly the best-known headache disorder. Unfortunately for many, sometimes people mistakenly think it’s just another headache. It isn’t. It’s a genetically linked neurological disorder characterized by flare-ups often called “migraine attacks,” and a headache is just one of the many possible symptoms you can experience with a migraine.
Abdominal Migraine
An abdominal migraine is a form of migraine seen mainly in children. As I have shared before, my niece started with this type of migraine before she was even a teenager. It is most common in children ages five to nine, but can occur in adults as well. It consists primarily of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. This is one type of migraine that usually doesn’t involve a headache, although children who this type of migraine often find themselves suffering with migraines involving head pain when they’re older. It is very hard to diagnose since there are not the usual symptoms we see with migraine.
Tension-Type Headache
This is the most common form of headache and it affects nearly 80% of people. It is often described as “a band around the head.” (I am very familiar with that feeling!) In a tension-type headache, you’ll have mild to moderate pain which can often be alleviated with over-the-counter pain relievers. If you have a lot of tension-type headaches, your should check with your physician for treatment.
Acephalgic or Silent Migraine
Simply put, an acephalgic migraine is a migraine with many migraine symptoms, but without an actual headache. Remember that the term “migraine” refers to a neurological disorder that often — but not always — includes headaches.
“Alice in Wonderland” Syndrome
Sounds kind of fancy, right? But this is a rare form of migraine aura that causes distortions in perception. Someone with Alice in Wonderland syndrome might feel as if his or her body is getting smaller, then larger, or might find time seeming to speed up or slow down. Children experience this more than adults, but it can occur in people of any age.
Basilar-Type Migraine
Symptoms of a basilar-type migraine sometimes can be confused with signs of a stroke — slurred speech, vertigo, unsteadiness, and numbness. These unusual symptoms come on gradually before the head pain begins. This isn’t a common-type of migraine isn’t common, although one study showed it may occur in up to 10% of those who have a migraine with aura.
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches may be the most painful headache type. Years ago, my physician diagnosed me with this type of migraine. I didn’t fully understand it at the time. These headaches involve attacks of severe pain lasting between 15 and 180 minutes. They can occur once every other day, or even up to eight times in one day. Cluster headaches — diagnosed more often in men than in women — can be very challenging to treat and should be treated under the expert care of a neurologist or headache specialist.
Chronic Daily Headache
You have a chronic daily headache if you have headaches that occur 15 or more days each month. Actually 4% to 5% of people have chronic daily headache, which falls into numerous sub-types depending on your headaches’ specific characteristics. If you have chronic daily headache, you’re more likely to have sleep problems as well as a likelihood that you snore.
Retinal Migraine
This type of migraine causes flashes or sparkles of light, which sometimes is combined with partial or total temporary blindness in one eye. This happens before the headache phase of the migraine starts. The head pain generally starts within an hour of the visual symptoms and can last up to three days. A physician must rule out other possible causes of the blindness before diagnosing retinal migraine.
Hemicrania Continua
This quite literally means “a headache that doesn’t stop.” It occurs on one side of the head with moderate pain which can spike into excruciating pain at times. Hemicrania continua is not considered a migraine but shares symptoms of a migraine — including light sensitivity and nausea. Fortunately, this can be treated quite easily with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
Hemiplegic Migraine
A hemiplegic migraine is a rare form of a migraine where you experience weakness on one side of your body, possibly accompanied by confusion or speech slurring. Like the symptoms of a basilar-type migraine, hemiplegic migraine symptoms can be mistaken for stroke symptoms. One subtype of a hemiplegic migraine runs in families, but you can have the condition without a family history.
Ice Pick Headaches
Ice pick headaches are stabbing, extremely intense headaches that can be absolutely debilitating as well as terrifying. Generally, they last between five and 30 seconds. However, they not only come out of nowhere, but can strike anywhere on your head — literally feeling as if an ice pick is being stuck in your head. The pain usually disappears before you can treat it, although there are some preventive treatments available.
New Daily Persistent Headache
This type of headache is diagnosed when someone who doesn’t normally have headaches reports daily head pain that persists for three months or more. People with new daily persistent headache usually can remember exactly when their headache first developed. Again, in order to diagnose this type of a headache, your doctor first must rule out several other conditions that can cause similar symptoms.
Pseudotumor Cerebri (Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension)
This is a condition whereby the body either produces too much of the fluid found in the brain and spine or doesn’t absorb the fluid well. The result is increased pressure that results in head pain. “Pseutotumor cerebri“ literally means “false brain tumor,” because the symptoms of this condition mimic those of brain tumor.
Status Migrainous
Status migrainous is a painful, debilitating migraine attack lasting for more than 72 hours. If moderate to severe migraine pain lasts more than 72 hours, with less than a solid four-hour pain-free period, while awake, it should be considered an emergency and you should make arrangements to see your doctor go to the emergency room.
Transformed Migraine
A transformed migraine begins as chronic migraine attacks, but gradually or quickly transforms into almost-daily, but less severe, head pain. These are the types I suffered with when i had daily headaches. Luckily, I do not have nearly as many as I used to. However, transformed migraine attacks can be accompanied by nausea, along with sensitivity to light and sound. You’re more at risk for transformed migraine if you have migraine attacks more than once a week, and if you use pain relievers on a daily basis.
I hope this was helpful, and as you read, you were able to pinpoint what type of migraines you suffer with most. Share in the comments below.
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