Sensitivity’s 

Often a migraine sufferer will have a intense sensitivity to light.  Even a small stream of light from a shaded window can be a cause for increased pain.  Some have described this feeling as sharp pain in the eyes, and a burning sensation around the eyes and nose.  It is felt at the time of the headache that the light is causing these pains, though some have felt that this is a sensation alone and that with or with out light in the room the same amount of pain is felt. 

Less often but not rare, persons have reported sensitivity to smells.  Aromas that would not normally bother someone will suddenly be repugnant to them.  It is hard for these person to determine if the smell causes them to be nauseous or if the smells are unpleasant because they nauseous.  We will discuss nausea further in a moment.  Also when dealing with the sensitivity to smells migraine sufferers find that smells seem stronger to them during the headache.  Perfume for example that would have been otherwise unnoticeable feels overwhelmingly strong and may give the sensation of being the cause of the pain leading the person desperate to rid the area of the source of the smell.

 For the person bearing the pain of the migraine, sensitivity to noise can sometimes be the most intense sensation.  Even small noises such as a radio or T.V. in a nearby room can feel blaring in the head of the sufferer.  Vibrations from outside or another room too have been related to as ‘jackhammers in my head’ and ‘pounding pain’.  Even the gentle humming from a refrigerator can be cause for complaint for someone in the middle of such severe head pain.

Nausea

Nausea is a common symptom that accompanies pain during a migraine headache.  Some person will feel only a little queasy, while others will suffer extreme nausea and vomiting during the duration of the headache.  Some feel the nausea is a direct result of the severity of the head pain, while some feel it is because of the multiple sensitivity’s.

Visual Disturbances

One of the most typical and separating migraine symptoms is visual disturbances.  Everyone describes them a little differently and while some suffer them only a little others will report complete blindness in one or both eyes.  These often occur just prior to the pain of the migraine, and can last during the entire headache and well after, or may disappear before the pain begins.  Some people will experience these visual distortions and have no pain.  Many persons will see an eye Doctor out of concern for their eyesight to find they have been suffering from migraines, only without the pain that so many others cope with. 

These visual oddities are described as ‘aura’s’, ‘shadows’, ‘tunnel vision’ or squiggles of light that do not go away.  One person explained like this “You feel that you have something in your eye, maybe a foggy feeling or a shadow but you cannot blink it away and then it may gradually get worse or change colors or shapes”.

If you have any of these migraine symptoms with or without head pain you may have been having a migraine.