Vestibular migraine is now the accepted term for a type of migraine that mainly presents with dizziness symptoms.
Migraine is not just headache!
It just so happens that the two most common types of migraine are headache varieties, Common Migraine and Classical Migraine and so people often think that migraine means headache, however there are many types of migraine that may not cause a headache at all, such as Vestibular Migraine!
Migraine is a phenomenon of altered sensation and there are many forms of migraine, of which only some involve headaches. For example, in children, unexplained nausea or abdominal pain is often caused by Abdominal Migraine and does not involve any headache at all. Leg pain in children such as “growing pains” or joint pain in adults may be migraine and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (or IBS) is now known to be a migraine phenomenon in adults, similar to abdominal migraine in children.
Vestibular Migraine is one of the most common causes of dizziness and vertigo, and is not always associated with headaches. The duration of attacks of Vestibular Migraine vary from seconds to days at a time, but attacks usually last minutes to hours at a time. Vestibular Migraines mostly occur without headaches, although many are followed by, or occur with a headache or visual changes.
This website aims to help you with your understanding of Vestibular Migraine, your symptoms and simple treatments for Vestibular Migraine that can help in the vast majority of patients overcome their migraine problems.
Symptoms of Vestibular Migraine
Vestibular Migraine typically is associated with Intolerance of movement (moving the head or watching moving images makes the symptoms worse) and dizziness.
Other symptoms during an episode of Vestibular Migraine include;
– Nausea, Vomiting, Sweating and Flushing: sometimes Diarrhoea in severe episodes
– Visual changes such as blurring, flashing lights and difficulty focusing
– Difficulty concentrating and memory problems during the episode (often described as “trying to concentrate through a fog”)
– Finding bright lights and loud sounds uncomfortable – worse during an episode is common in Vestibular Migraine
Patients most commonly feel extreme tiredness and fatigue after an episode, needing to sleep (often in a darkened room).
Causes and Triggers of Vestibular Migraine
Causes
The underlying cause of Vestibular Migraine is unknown, however, they are known to be strongly related to a mixture of environmental and genetic factors. For example, they run in families in around two thirds of cases.
Vestibular Migraine is very closely linked with anxiety, depression and other forms of dizziness such as Meniere’s disease (of which it is often confused and may co-exist). In general, however, it is well recognised that a Vestibular Migraine is set off by common triggers in almost all patients.
These migraine triggers can be controlled and serve as the basis for treatment.
Migraine Triggers
The top 5 most common triggers for Vestibular Migraine are;
1) Stress and Anxiety.
2) Poor sleep – both too little, and too much!
3) Hunger and Dehydration – missing meals or not drinking enough water.
4) Dietary triggers – many common foods.
5) Hormonal changes – i.e. Periods, Menopause and in Teenagers.
Other external triggers for Vestibular Migraine can include certain forms of lighting (such as strip lighting) artificial ventilation (such as air conditioning and central heating), weather changes, smoking and strong odours (such as perfumes and aftershaves).
Vestibular Migraine Symptom Diary
One method which has been shown to be very successful in managing Vestibular Migraine is to keep a symptom diary such as that below, and this way, over a period of a few months it is common to find a pattern to your attacks of Vestibular Migraine.
This can often lead to identification of specific triggers, which when stopped, may abolish Vestibular Migraine altogether in some cases, so it is well worth the effort!
| Date | Wake-up time | Breakfast | Snack | Lunch | Snack | Dinner | Bed time | Stress | Migraine |
| 15/05/16 | 6am
bad night |
Banana
Coffee |
Mars bar
Coffee |
Ham sandwich
Crisps Energy Drink |
Chocolate
Coffee |
Salmon salad potatoes
Chocolate cake Red wine |
12am | Yes | No |
| 16/05/16 | 9.30am | Nil | Apple | As above | Coffee | Roast Turkey etc
White wine |
2.30am | No | Yes |
Treatment for migraine
Further Support
Professor Owen Judd
BMedSci(Hons) BM BS FRCP FRCS(Ed) FRCS(ORL-HNS) FRSA PGDipClinEd DCH
Professor Judd is Consultant Neurotologist, Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon at The Royal Derby Hospital (ITV’s “Superhospital”), and practices privately at Derby Private Health at the Royal Derby hospital. He has a prestigious international Visiting Professorship in Balance Medicine, specialising in diseases of the Ear and Brain and is an expert in Balance disorders and dizziness. He has a special interest and expertise in complicated Vestibular Migraine and Migraine in general.
Click here for more information on Owen Judd
Professor Peter Rea
MA BM BCh (Oxon) FRCS (England) FRCS (ORL-HNS) – Consultant Balance Specialist, Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon Leicester Balance Centre, Leicester Royal Infirmary.
Mr Anil Banerjee
MBBS FRCS FRCS-ORL-HNS – Consultant Balance Specialist, Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon Leicester Balance Centre, Leicester Royal Infirmary.
Meditate London – techniques taught face-to-face or via Skype sessions
www.meditatelondon.co.uk – email. info@meditatelondon.co.uk
or call 01992 611539.