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A migraine can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on just one side of the head. It is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
If you suffer from migraine headaches, you’re not alone. About 12 percent of the U.S. population experience migraines, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at NIH. Migraines involve recurrent attacks of moderate to severe pain that is throbbing or pulsing and often strikes one side of the head. Untreated attacks can last from 4 to 72 hours.
A great deal of research is currently underway, testing new treatments for migraine headaches, some of which are designed to prevent migraine headaches altogether. If you suffer from migraines, you could help find new treatment methods for migraines. Find out more about enrolling migraine headache clinical trials by selecting one of the below locations near you. Use the form on the page to schedule a free, in-office consultation to find out if a migraine clinical trial is right for you.
Migraines occur most frequently in the morning, especially upon waking. Some people have migraines at predictable times, such as before menstruation or on weekends following a stressful week of work or a change in sleep schedule. Many people feel exhausted or weak following a migraine. Migraines often begin in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. Migraines may progress through four stages: prodrome, aura, headache and post-drome, though you may not experience all stages.
Prodrome
One or two days before a migraine, you may notice subtle changes that are warning signs of an upcoming migraine, including:
Aura
Aura may occur before or during migraines. Most migraine sufferers will experience migraines without aura. Auras are symptoms of the nervous system. They are usually visual disturbances, such as flashes of light, or wavy, zigzag vision. Sometimes auras can also be touching sensations (sensory), movement (motor) or speech (verbal) disturbances. Your muscles may get weak, or you may feel as though someone is touching you.
Each of these symptoms usually begin gradually, build up over several minutes, and last for 20 to 60 minutes each. Examples of migraine aura include:
Attack
A migraine usually lasts from four to 72 hours if untreated. The frequency with which headaches occur varies from person to person. Migraines may be rare, or strike several times a month. During a migraine, you may experience:
Post-drome
The final phase, known as post-drome, occurs after a migraine attack. You may feel drained and washed out, while some people feel elated. For about 24 hours, you may also experience:
Since opening our doors in 1996, CNS Healthcare has had the privilege of assisting in the development of some of the most widely prescribed medicines in the world. We continue to lead the way in providing the clinical research necessary to identify medications for the FDA to review and, once approved, physicians to prescribe. CNS has conducted thousands of clinical trials, improved millions of lives, and is proud to have helped in the FDA approval of nearly 100 new treatments.