What is the difference between a migraine and a migraine imposter?
True migraine sufferers tend to have visual cues, or auras that occur between 10 and 30 minutes before the onset of severe headache pain. They can see flashing lights, have blind spots, or lose vision for a short time. They may also have other symptoms that come with severe headache pain, like nausea and vomiting. While many theories exist for the cause of migraines, the most commonly accepted is the blood flow theory, which focuses on blood vessel activity in the brain. A migraine imposter may have the same level of pain, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, but can have other causes, such as a bone spur of the septum that contacts nasal turbinates, and triggers pain.
