Migraine

Migraine plays a special role among headache disorders. About 15-18% of the female and 5-7% of the male population are affected by migraines. Migraine is a seizure-like, non-symptomatic headache, that typically involves concomitant symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light (photophobia), sensitivity to sound (phonophobia) and sensitivity to smell (osmophobia). The usually very strong half-sided headache is described as pulsating and throbbing.

About 20% of migraine patients have a migraine with aura. Root causes are neurological stimulus irritation or failure symptoms, which happen before, rarely also during the headache attack. The most common form is the visual aura with visual disturbances, flickering and visual loss. In addition to these visual symptoms, half-sided sensitivity disorders, paresis, as well as speech or language disorders may also occur.

Often, a migraine is announced days before the actual attack by precursors, so-called prodromi, such as a red head, diarrhoea, fatigue, sweating, euphoria, depressive moods or cravings.