A migraine is ultimately a neurological disorder that is characterized by a severe head pain so intense that it can be debilitating, causing a person to seek respite away from any noise or light until the condition passes. But, a vestibular migraine has the added symptom of vertigo, which can actually exacerbate this head pain and the other agonizing effects that often accompany a migraine. When someone is suffering from a vestibular migraine, she will usually experience certain hallmarks, in either a fairly short period of time (within minutes of each other) or a relatively drawn out episode (hours).
Aura
The first symptom of a vestibular migraine (or any migraine) will usually be some sort of visual disruption that is often called an aura. This may manifest as flashes of light, illuminated disturbances to your peripherals or spots in your field of vision.
Vertigo
If you're suffering from a vestibular migraine, you will always experience a certain sense of dizziness or lightheadedness that can only be described as vertigo. When encountering an attack, your visual perception will alter, feeling as if the room is spinning or tilting out of proportion to you.
Unsteadiness
While more of a symptom of the vertigo itself, many people will generally lose their sense of balance due to the dizziness, making it difficult to walk, move or stand.
Nausea
Not at all surprising, a vestibular migraine will also bring about the symptom of nausea. Again, this is a consequence of the way in which the vertigo affects the body, namely the stomach. Many people will also feel the need to vomit while going through an attack.
Tinnitus
Many times, a person suffering from a vestibular migraine will also face something called tinnitus, which is essentially a ringing in the ears.
Pain
After the vertigo from the vestibular migraine has set in, almost every person dealing with this type of disorder will feel the symptom of pain. This pain will ultimately be isolated to the head (commonly referred to as a headache), but may run down to the neck.
Sensitivity to Light & Sound
Much like a standard migraine, most people will also have a certain amount of sensitivity to both light and sound.
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