Acephalgic, Silent migraine
What is silent migraine?
Silent migraines, also called acephalgic migraines or migraine without headaches, are the types of migraines that do not involve the typical head pain. Instead, people with silent migraines experience other symptoms such as aura (visual disturbances), dizziness, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound.
Root Cause of Disease
They’re thought to have a genetic cause, but it’s unclear exactly why they occur. Migraines may be caused by the brain’s difficulty adjusting to sensory stimulation such as lights and noise. Changes in chemicals and blood vessels in the brain may also be factors.
Symptoms
While the symptoms of a silent migraine can vary from person to person, there are some common ones that are associated with this type of migraine. These include:
- Visual disturbances– this can include seeing flashes of light, temporary blindness, or other vision changes.
- Sensitivity to light– people who experience a silent migraine may be especially sensitive to light and noise.
- Numbness or tingling– some people may experience numbness or tingling in their extremities.
- Weakness– another common symptom of a silent migraine is weakness or paralysis on one side of the body. This is typically temporary and should resolve itself once the migraine passes.
- Sensitivity to smells
- Nausea and vomiting
- Common prodrome symptoms like food cravings, irritability, fatigue, and neck stiffness.
- Get “hyper” or cranky
- Have food cravings
- Be tired and yawn more
- Feel stiff, especially in your neck
- Need to pee more often
- Get constipated or have diarrhea
- Dizziness
- vomiting
Causes
Migraines may be caused by the brain’s difficulty adjusting to sensory stimulation such as lights and noise. Changes in chemicals and blood vessels in the brain may also be factors.
Over time, most people figure out what triggers their migraines. The triggers may be environmental, related to food, or physiological. There are hundreds of potential migraine triggers such as:
- Odors
- Noises
- Bright lights
- Fermented foods
- Caffeinated drinks
- Alcohol
- Barometric changes
- Chemical preservatives, colourings, and flavourings
- Stress
- Hunger
- Exercise
- Pain
- Eye strain
- Neck problems
- Sinus problems
- Too much sleep
- Too little sleep
- Menstruation and other hormonal changes
Home Remedies to treat Silent Migraine
Remedy – 1: Panchakarma therapy
Panchakarma therapy is meant to detoxify, or purify, the body. This is said to remove toxins contributing to your migraine.
Examples of purification treatments include:
- Pouring medicated oil into the nose (nasya karma)
- Whole body oil massage
- Eating medicated ghee
- Sweating therapy
Remedy – 2: Yoga
Yoga is an ancient practice that brings together your mind and body. It incorporates various breathing techniques and poses to promote relaxation.
By calming your mind and body, yoga helps ease stress and anxiety and may also reduce sensitivity to pain, including migraine pain.
Poses that may be especially beneficial for migraine relief include:
- Child’s Pose
- Downward-Facing Dog
- Bridge Pose
Remedy – 3: Essential Oil Anti-Pain Massage
Materials:
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) carrier oil (try almond, apricot, or olive)
- 3 to 5 drops peppermint essential oil
Procedure:
Place the oils in a clean, small jar. Cover tightly with a lid. Shake until combined. Massage into sore areas: neck, shoulders, jaw, or temples. Take care not to touch your eyes. When finished, lie down in a quiet place with your eyes shut.
Product Link: Essential Oils
Remedy – 4: Ksheera Ghrita
Ksheera Ghrita, which is essentially a glass of milk mixed with ghee, is a fantastic natural drink to effectively mend migraine headaches. The wealth of nutrients such as calcium, proteins, healthy fats, vitamin D and vitamin E all work in synergy, to uplift mood, stimulate the nervous system, enhance productivity and regulate metabolism, thus pacifying throbbing pain in the head due to migraines.
Remedy – 5 : Ginger-Feverfew Elixir
Materials:
- 2 cups (235 ml) water
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) finely grated fresh ginger,
- Packed 1 teaspoon (2 g) chopped fresh feverfew leaves, or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried Honey or agave nectar
Procedure:
Bring the water to a boil. Add the ginger and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the feverfew leaves. Cover and steep for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain out the ginger and feverfew. Stir in honey to taste, and serve hot.
Product Link: Ginger-Feverfew Elixir
Remedy – 6: Honey-Cinnamon Coffee
Materials:
- 1 cup (235 ml) freshly brewed coffee
- 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) almond or other non dairy milk
- 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (40 g) honey
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Procedure:
In a saucepan, combine the coffee, non dairy milk, and vanilla. Warm until hot, but do not boil. Stir in the honey until dissolved. Stir in the cinnamon.
Product Link: Honey with cinnamon
Remedy -7: Put It on Ice
Materials:
- When a headache attacks, keep a cool head!
- 1⁄2 cup (115 g) crushed ice
- 3 drops of lavender essential oil
Procedure:
Place the ice in a resealable plastic bag and seal.(A good substitute is a bag of frozen peas or corn.) Wrap the bag of ice in a damp washcloth and secure it with a safety pin. Dot the essential oil onto the cloth and spread across the cloth with your fingertips. Apply the wrapped bag to the painful area, with the cloth against your skin.
Product Link: Lavender essential oil
Preventions
Your first step in preventing silent migraines is to identify your triggers. To do this, keep a migraine diary and write down when each migraine occurred, how long it lasted, and what you were doing before and when it struck. Be sure to note any foods or beverages you consumed, as well as any medications you took before the migraine began.
Once you’ve identified your triggers, you should avoid them. This may mean modifying your diet or avoiding noisy social situations.
Take these steps to get on a regular sleep schedule and prevent insomnia:
- Go to bed at the same time each night.
- Avoid caffeine and other stimulants.
- Keep your bedroom cool and dark at night.
- Consider investing in a fan or white noise machine to block out noises that may keep you awake.
- If you’re a smoker and get migraines, you should try to quit.
