Introduction
Silent migraine: what is it?
Migraine is one of the most common forms of headache. It usually manifests as intense, throbbing pain that has a slow onset and begins on one side of the head only, then involves the frontal region above theeye; later the “pulsations” intensify and even involve the forehead and temple.
Usually, the attack affects only one side of the head. However, migraine does not always manifest itself in this typical way, there is also a typology, called silent migraine, which does not involve any pain or poundingbut is characterized by other symptoms, such as visual, sensory or speech and language disturbances.
The silent migraine, more properly called migraine aura without headacheis a particular form of migraine in which the aura or other migraine disturbances such as visual, sensory, vocal and/or motor changes occur, without the occurrence of headache.
It therefore causes an attack characterized by temporary sensory disturbances, such as seeing dots or blotches, having trouble hearing or speaking clearly, and feeling dizzy. In reality, these are disturbances that can also appear in silent migraine, before the onset of pain in the head: the difference is that in silent migraine, the pain phase is completely missing.
The cause
As with the classic form of migraine, the exact cause of silent migraine is not fully known. According to some theories, there may be a basis for this problem an electric wave due to the activation of the neuronswhich moves through the visual cortex in the brain, thus bringing about visual changes.
What is certain is that there are some triggers crises, some of which are known, such as: tiredness, weather changes, hormonal fluctuations, changes in daily routineexposure to bright lights, use of certain foods or medications, sleep disturbances.
These triggers are thought to set off a chain reaction in the brain that leads to the release of inflammatory substances, which could cause nerve cells to become overactive, which in turn is responsible for the onset of silent migraines.
How it manifests itself
Silent migraine is not synonymous with migraine without symptoms: it is true that this condition is not associated with the appearance of headaches, but it still causes the appearance of some disturbances.
In most cases it manifests itself with an aurai.e. a series of reversible neurological symptoms, the most common of which are visual: small glares (similar to those encountered after staring at a light source for a long time), sparkling flashesspotty vision, loss of vision in a small area of the eye, darkening or blurring of the field of visiono.
Other possible symptoms, which may appear at different stages of the attack, are: nausea; speech or language disorders; weakness; numbness in the limbs; vertigo; lack of balance.
The stages of silent migraine
Fase prodromica: it’s a kind of “warning” phase, where some appear alarm bellssuch as food cravings, mood changes, tiredness, increased thirst.
Aura: is the phase in which i appear actual symptoms. On average, it lasts for 20 minutes, but in some cases, it can be persistent and last for days or weeks.
Postdromo: it is the phase after the aura, the final one. This stage can last for hours or days and is often characterized by fatigue, irritability, brain fog, mood changes, and a general feeling of being unwell.
The duration of a silent migraine attack varies greatly, from person to person and even from episode to episode. Sometimes the problem it lasts only a few hours, but it can also happen that it lasts for several days.
Often, the actual attack is preceded by a prodromal phase, a sort of “warning” phase, in which some alarm bells appear. The aura follows, a phase that can have a very variable duration. Finally, there may be the post-drome final stage, but only in some people.
Silent migraine, the remedies
Silent migraine, as seen, is not associated with the appearance of headaches, so it cannot be treated in the same way as classic migraine, where intervention is mainly to try to relieve the pain. THE Pain relievers can help prevent and treat the headache phase, but they generally don’t stop the aura, so there’s no point in using them for silent migraines.
So how to deal with this problematic? In relation to the frequency and severity of the episodes, various solutions can be attempted. Some studies have shown that the magnesium supplements may be effective in treating silent migraine.
Magnesium, in fact, plays a vital role in energy production, muscle and nerve function and can also help counteract some of the possible mechanisms underlying the migraine aura. Magnesium supplements are a good option for most patients as they are well tolerated and effective when used correctly. According to the American Migraine Foundation, the best shape is magnesium oxide (other forms, such as magnesium chloride, are not well absorbed and do not work as well) and the recommended daily dose is 400 to 600 milligrams per day. It takes at least three months of daily use to see the benefits.
If seizures are frequent, your doctor might prescribe cure preventivefor example based on antiepileptic drugs that work by decreasing the excitability of neurons in the brain, or anti-CGRP drugs.
Some lifestyle changes like the stress reductionExercise, regular exercise, and avoiding known migraine triggers (such as certain foods, scents, or activities) can help prevent attacks.
The transcranial magnetic stimulator
On the market, there is a particular device, the transcranial magnetic stimulator, which once positioned on the back of the head for a few seconds, sends tiny magnetic pulses to the surrounding area of the head and neck. It can both prevent and treat migraine aura with and no headaches and has no known side effects.
The device can be used at the beginning of an aura to shorten its duration or even be used preventivelytwice a day, to reduce the frequency of silent migraine.