A Guide To
Acephalgic Migraine

Acephalgic migraine is characterized by a variety of symptoms excluding headache.

This type of migraine is caused due to several genetic factors and in individuals having a family history of acephalgic records of migraine headaches.

The symptoms and the frequency of occurrence of Acephalgic or migraine aura without headache are not the same in case of every individual.

In some cases, migraine is caused by vasolidation in the head and neck. Contemporary research works suggest that the pain originates from the activation of the trigeminal nerve.

However, the pain may also be caused due to overactivity of the nerve cells in particular areas of the brain such as the raphe nucleus.

Migraine aura without headache or acephalgic type of migraine greatly differs from classical migraine because the former does not show any sign of headache. Acephalgic form of migraine is also known by other names such as amigranious migraine or optical migraine.

The severity of optical migraine may be similar to that of cluster headaches but their symptoms are entirely different. Amigranious migraine many a times combines with tension headaches thus making the condition more severe and complicated.

However, medications of migraine may help in the elimination of tension headache thus providing relief from both the conditions.

When acephalgic migraine combines with seizures and strokes the condition is generally referred to as complicated migraine. Misdiagnosis is a common phenomenon in case of amigranious migraine.

This is because the symptoms show no sign of headaches and therefore it becomes very difficult for the individual to identify the condition as optical migraine.

In such cases, it is better if you consult your medical practitioner. A clinical confirmation will definitely help you to have a better understanding of your physiological condition.

The diagnosis of amigranious or acephalgic migraine is however quite a difficult task.

The symptoms of this migraine type are similar to those of several neurological conditions like transient ischaemic attacks, demyelinating disease, simple partial epilepsy, and even glaucoma.

The differentiation only becomes apparent when the conditions are examined by the effective utilization of both flash and pattern stimulation.

An aura is specifically a kind of visual change that occurs just before a migraine headache. An aura is an infrequent phenomenon in case of migraine headache.

However, some individuals may have visual symptoms without any headache.

This particular condition is usually referred to as visual, ocular or acephalgic migraine. The latest term, which is being used to identify the condition, is “migraine aura without headache”.

A visual change or an aura in reference to acephalgic migraine is described as flashing or scintillating light. It has a “zigzag” or “fortress like” appearance.

The medicines being prescribed for ocular, visual or migraine aura without headache are similar to those of other migraine types. It is only that the symptoms of the said condition have to be properly diagnosed before treatment begins.

Posted by Jan Heering
Headache – Migraine Treatment Expert and Author
Founder and President of the Morpheus Institute and
www.headache-migraine-release.com

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