Signs of Migraine That Don't Include the Usual Headaches

Approximately nine percent of Americans suffer from migraines, with almost five million experiencing at least one per month. Migraines are more common in women than in men and usually occur in people between the ages of thirty-five and fifty-five. Common symptoms of a migraine include; headaches, a throbbing and pulsing pain, nausea, sensitivity to light, smell and sound. However, there are many other symptoms that many do not consider when wondering whether or not they are experiencing a migraine.

Migraines Can Cause Changes In Mood

Changes in patient’s mood are often reported before the migraine attack - during the warning period referred to as the prodrome. Patients may experience mood changes hours or days before the migraine attack. However, mood changes can occur at any point of the migraine attack. Symptoms of mood changes may include trouble thinking, concentrating, irritability, changes in behavior and energy, confusion, depression, anxiousness, and hyperactivity. Studies have found that seventy-two percent of migraine sufferers reported feeling tired and weary as a warning sign, while fifty-one percent had trouble paying attention before a migraine set in.

Diarrhea And Constipation Due To Migraines

Patients who suffer migraines may get diarrhea or constipation as a symptom, with some experiencing it alongside their head pain. Many patients notice a pattern of the symptoms they experience during a migraine, and when the symptoms may occur at which period of a migraine. Some medications that are used to treat migraines can be blamed for diarrhea or constipation.

Diarrhea is described as when a patient may feel the need to rush to the restroom with frequent bowel movements, usually in liquid form. They may experience three or more loose stools per day, cramps, abdominal pain, and nausea. Constipation is when a patient’s bowels move less than three times per week. The symptoms of constipation may include; dry, hard, small stools, painful bowel movements, and a bloated stomach.