A silent migraine won’t be accompanied by that tell-tale sign of massaging your temples when you’re having one because there is no real pain in the head itself. However, it does have a lot of similar characteristics of a typical migraine. There is still a lot of mystery surrounding the brain and head, but doctors have worked to classify as best as possible the different ways headaches affect the afflicted. We’ll tell you more about the symptoms and triggers of this type of headache so that you can understand more about your condition.
Silent migraines follow a pattern, and they typically give signs that they’re on their way. Before you get one, you may feel overly energetic, angry or tired. Many report stiffness around the neck, and you may also feel the urge to urinate frequently or have constipation or loose stools. It’s a varied list of symptoms because each migraine is different. During the next phase (called the aura phase), you may have more traditional symptoms, such as seeing lines in front of your eyes or flashing lights, along with spots, blurry or tunnel vision. Those with silent migraines have also had trouble hearing, speaking, smelling or tasting, or felt numb or tingly all over. Cold-like symptoms such as a stuffy nose or chills may also accompany a silent migraine. As you’ve likely already noticed, there isn’t a headache that goes along with the symptoms, but the research supports that this stems from a problem with the head.
Women are more likely to experience migraines in general, and it’s thought to be because females are typically more sensitive to their environment, which is generally the main cause of silent migraines. Unfortunately, those who experience severe headaches are also statistically more likely to suffer from a serious medical condition, such as a heart attack or stroke. Those with unpredictable schedules are more prone to getting these types of headaches.
As you can see, many of the triggers of a migraine are within your control, so work on your diet, environment and lifestyle for decreased risk.
Much of treatment is about making changes in your life, but Dr. Smith has a few other tricks to get you back to where you need to be. Through his experience, he’s found the areas to target for all kinds of headaches — from the minor to the truly debilitating. He has seen success with 90% of the patients he treats, and he wants everyone to know what it’s like to live pain-free.
If you would like to find out more about Smith Life and the treatment available, call (713) 795-0600.
At the Smith Sinus Migraine Institute, we offer the very best in facial plastic surgery procedures, including facelift, rhinoplasty, and eyelid surgery. Led by renowned board certified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Kevin Smith, we only provide the highest quality patient care and use only the latest in medical technology and surgical techniques.