Headaches may only last for a very short time and have no other symptoms associated with them. They are not as severe as migraines and don’t affect day-to-day activities.
Migraines last for several days and have many symptoms associated with them—including prodromes and postdromes. Migraines are debilitating and affect a migraineur's performance at work and in daily life.
Keep track of what you are eating. The negative effects of sugar are becoming more well-known. Sugar is a major contributor to migraine. Therefore, sugar should not be consumed.
In addition, most foods do not intrinsically contain the right ratio of nutrients to support the brain’s electrical activity and the body’s hydration. To stay healthy and prevent or lessen migraines in accordance with the Stanton Migraine Protocol®, you should start by trying to maintain the ratio of 2 portions of potassium for every 1.5 portions of sodium for the foods in your diet. Most migraineurs feel their best at a 1:1 ratio of potassium and sodium, but starting at a 2:1.5 ratio and slowly working upwards is the best method to find the right ratio for you. Read more about how to maintain this ratio with what you eat.
Stage 1 – Prodrome
Symptoms: Light and sound sensitivity, nausea, aura, and dizziness
Stage 2 – Aura(optional)
Auras can be flashes of light, blurriness as if water was running down the window, distorted shapes, colored aura similar to the Aurora Borealis (hence the name), black and white zig-zag lines that look like chainsaw blades in a semicircle, or shooting target lines of moving circles. You may or may not have a large area of your vision covered by a white, gray, or black patch, which is a blind area.
Step 3 – Migraine Attack
Symptoms: Pain on one side of the head, sensitivity to light, sound, smell, touch, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, vomiting, tingling arms, legs, half of the body paralyzed (temporary), cannot speak, cannot think, foggy, disoriented.
Stage 4 – Postdrome
Symptoms: Feel drained and washed out, severe brain fog, excess urination, diarrhea.