What do you experience (physically) right before a migraine headache? Specifically with your eyes?
What I mean is how do you know one is coming on before it actually hits?
Public Comments
1. Are you trying to ask if before a migraine I get floaters in my eyes and bright spots? If so, that is a yes for me.2. people say their periferal vision gets blurry and then the migrane starts. i personally never had a migrane but thats what i have heard and read.
3. Depends. When I had "regular" migraines I didn't notice an awful lot of visual differences between normal and pre-migraine. Once I started having what's known as "cluster" headaches (which are like mini-strokes) I started having visual disturbances. It was like being in Vegas at night, the lights were bright, flashing and I could count on their being around just before a jagged, stabbing pain in my temples which was nearly totally disabling. I literally nearly fell down while in the store the first time it happened.
4. I guess its different for every one, me for example I get a lil dizzy and very sensitive to light, the slightest glare can make it ten times worse..
5. i used to have an aura, tiny lights that would sparkle on and off all around me.
But in 1998 I was having test run before an operation and they found out I had an irregular heart beat. they put me on verapamil 240 and my headaches stopped along with the irregular heartbeat which settled down to a normal sinus rhythm. the surgeon gave me some great advice, do not take pain pills, they only help temporarily and then rebound, Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day the brain does not like to be dehydrated, get on a good routine, go to bed at the same time, get up at the same time, try not to sleep in, Ever go without sleep and then when you try to catch up, you get a crushing headache. Eat a good breakfast, toast, egg, orange juice. I used to go to school without breakfast and I always paid for it. that's why they call it breakfast, from break fast. You know this really works, now when I get even a hint of a headache I drink down a big tall glass of water.
6. Before I get a migraine I notice that things like light bother my eyes. If the sun light flashes between objects ie. trees, etc., when I am driving that's the worst. Also objects moving around my eyes. Like close then back. I feel nausea next and sensitivity to sounds. My jaw feels different and my teeth feel sensitive. My heart rate starts to go up. Mainly my heart rate starts to go up at this point because of the anxiety with knowing that the migraine is going to hurt! Most of the time it is only on one side of my head and my speech can be a little off too. My eye and socket hurt and the back of my neck on the corresponding side. On a scale of 1-10 I have experienced a 9 and had thrown up because of the pain. I can take aspirin and Tylenol combined and there is a codeine and caffeine combo that helps. But for off the shelf the only thing that helps is aspirin combined with Tylenol. Sometimes cold packs and going to bed. If I take the aspirin combined with Tylenol quickly before all the symptoms kick in I can keep it from getting really bad, although the speech and the thinking are still a little off. I avoid MSG, Aspartame and artificial sweeteners and am very careful with red wine. Maybe once a month or two I will get a migraine. I just try to be as careful as I can with my diet and keep myself hydrated. My son has to avoid the MSG and the sweeteners, too. PS I feel sometimes like I have already suffered a little brain damage from the MSG and Aspartame.
7. with repeated headaches always get checked for brain tumor at least once
8. Some people do not get visual disturbances. Some do. They are called auras. When I was a teen, they were like sunlight reflecting off a car bumper. But it varies with each person. Now I get what are called ocular migraines. I get the visual disturbance without the headache.
9. I get really bad floaters, then see wavy lines. Sometimes the floaters start the day before and normal scents or odors are very unusually strong.
10. I generally have pain in my eyes (like, the actual muscles of the eye hurt) as well as slightly blurred vision, and a sensation of thumping behind my eyes.
11. I don't support bright light before a migraine headache.
