Often debilitating for sufferers, migraines show up differently from person to person.
However, most take form as a throbbing headache, accompanied by other symptoms, including head and neck sensitivity, as well as nausea.
While the Mayo Clinic claims that living a healthy lifestyle can be key to reducing the number of migraines an individual suffers, quite often, it's best to catch it early to comprehensively address the problem.
Speaking to GB News, Dr Austin Shuxiao has identified two key methods for detecting migraines before they fully develop into full-blown episodes.
The first approach involves keeping a headache journal to track prodromal and aura symptoms that precede episodes, many of which stay consistent for each individual.
Dr Austin Shuxiao has told GB News about two methods to identify an advancing migraine
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"It's best to educate patients on what prodromal and/or aural symptoms to look out for and to document what happens before each migraine in a journal, so they know the symptoms that occur for THEM," Dr Shuxiao said.
The second method focuses on trigger identification, as migraines can be prompted by sleep patterns, food, stress, menstruation, and weather changes.
Headache journals prove particularly valuable because migraines typically follow a four-phase pattern.
Prodromal and aura symptoms usually appear two to 48 hours before the actual headache develops.
"Migraines are commonly associated with prodrome and/or aura, which are symptoms preceding a migraine, usually by 2-48 hours," Dr Shuxiao explained.
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People who experience frequent migraines often recognise their individual symptom patterns from previous episodes.
The aura phase affects only 25 to 30 per cent of migraine sufferers but features distinct visual or sensory disturbances. Most auras are visual, including wavy lines, stars, and patches of vision loss.
Common prodromal symptoms include fatigue, which affects approximately 50 per cent of sufferers, which is then followed by yawning.
Other warning signs encompass anxiety, depression, irritability, and "brain fog", alongside light or sound sensitivity.
Common prodromal symptoms include fatigue, which affects approximately 50 per cent of sufferers
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Physical symptoms may include mild nausea, constipation, thirst, and changes in appetite or food cravings.
Scalp or neck sensitivity also frequently occurs during this phase.
"The most common prodrome is fatigue (around 50 per cent), followed by yawning," Dr Shuxiao noted.
These symptoms are non-specific, but patients who record their prodromal symptoms after experiencing migraines can identify their personal patterns.
By maintaining detailed records of these potential triggers, patients can take preventive action earlier in the migraine cycle.
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