Migraine and the aura

Some people have an aura stage. Many do not. The aura signs begin before the main migraine attack. This early warning is felt hours, or sometimes just a few moments, before an attack. Visual disturbance may start in one eye and may spread, perhaps affecting just one side of the visual field but in both eyes. Geometric visual patterns and even hallucinations may occur. Paraesthesiae sometimes is experienced. This is a feeling of pins and needles or tingling. Numbness can starts in the hand and move up the arm before involving the face, lips and tongue. Legs are sometimes affected. Sensitivity to light often begins at this stage. Some people even experience temorary blindness.
An aura can be a combination of one or more of visual, balance, smell, and taste disturbances. Some people only ever experience the aura, and their migraine does not develop further. The Migraine Resolution Programme can also be effective in reducing symptoms of the aura for these people. Many other more unusual signs, such as tinnitis, (ringing in the ears) can occur.

The Migraine Attack

Neurologists have studied this condition for many years. It is known that a wave of neurological activity begins a cascade, releasing hormones in a certain order, triggering a sequence of events. At first there is a wave of distension across the meningal blood vessels. A hormone is then released to contract these dilated blood vessels. The blood vessels contract, but they contract too much, and a second wave of hormones is released to dilate the blood vessels again. There follows a long series of these alternate hormone releases, with the result that the blood vessels are dilating and contracting wildly, and the patient feels the terrible pain of the distension as a throbbing, pounding headache, far beyond the pain of a normal tension headache. The patient then begins to feel sick (nauseous). Possibly the pain itself is the trigger for nausea or the crescendo of similar hormones triggering one to another. The patient feels sick, and then actually vomits. A separate hormone is responsible for the action of vomiting, and some people feel very nauseous, but are never actually sick. Migraine attacks usually involve, simultaneously, the most excruciating pain in the head, nausea and vomiting, and sensitivity to bright light.

How common is migraine?

From medical information available on the internet, I found the following facts : -

More women suffer migraine than men. Prevalence has been reported to be 5–25% in women and 2–10% in men, according to various studies.