How to judge primary vascular headache

Primary vascular headache is also called migraine. There are many types of this type of migraine, which is related to people’s emotional ups and downs. Many people don’t know whether their headache is a primary vascular headache. In fact, the type of headache can be determined by symptoms.

1. Common migraine. There are no clear prodromal symptoms, only some nonspecific prodromal symptoms that occur hours or days before the headache, including mental disorders, gastrointestinal symptoms, etc. The headache attacks may last for several days and may be bilateral. There is usually a family history.

2. Typical migraine. It is more common in women, usually starting in adolescence, with cyclical attacks, gradually decreasing after middle age. Symptoms usually occur in the early morning when waking up or during the day, with sparks flashing before eyes, followed by numbness and tingling in face, lips, limbs, and mild aphasia. This aura symptom disappears after a few minutes to 30 minutes. Then there is a unilateral headache, and sometimes the pain spreads over the entire head. The pain is throbbing, dull or stabbing, reaching its peak in about an hour and then turning into continuous pain.

3. Cluster migraine (also known as migraine neuralgia or histamine headache). It is a series of intensive headache attacks, once or several times a day, lasting for tens of minutes and no longer than an hour. The intervals can last for weeks or even years. Patients often wake up suddenly from sleep at night with severe burning pain.

4. Basilar artery migraine. It mainly occurs in adolescent or young women and has a significant relationship with the menstrual period. The prodromal symptoms are bilateral visual changes such as blackouts, and may also include transient amnesia, vertigo, tinnitus, unsteady gait, and abnormal sensations in the hands, feet, or around the mouth. After 10 to 15 minutes, a throbbing headache develops, usually in the occipital region, accompanied by nausea and vomiting.