This means that a MS lesion in the periaqueductal grey matter may cause a migraine. After the spinal cord and optic nerves, the brainstem is one of the three most common sites for the demyelination seen in MS.
Migraines are believed to be triggered in a part of the CNS called the brainstem. MS is generally thought to be an autoimmune disease with an inflammatory attack on the myelin covering the nerves and the axons themselves within the central nervous system. Sometimes, however, migraine may be a symptom of MS or even a sign of a MS relapse. In fact, in some cases, a bad headache led to a first brain MRI (magnetic resonance image) which eventually led to a MS diagnosis. Some people, however, had no history of migraines prior to their first MS symptoms. Migraines without auras are called “common migraines,” while migraines with auras are called “classic migraines.”įor most people who have MS and migraines, the migraines came first and are not caused by the MS itself. While some people have warning signs (often sparkling lights or other visual symptoms) for migraines, called “auras,” this is less common. The migraine headache is also accompanied by nausea and/or difficulty with light and loud noises. They are usually moderate to severe in intensity, last for longer than four hours if not treated, get worse with activity, feel throbbing and pulsating or are duller or more stabbing. Migraines are a type of primary headache disorder (meaning that they are not generally thought to be caused by something else, like a mass) where a person has headaches that are usually on one side of the head, although the side may change and they may be on both simultaneously. Sometimes this is simply coincidental, but sometimes the MS itself may be to blame for the migraines. Some people with migraines also happen to have MS and some people with MS have migraines. So, everyone with a migraine has a headache, but not everyone with a headache has a migraine. Many people with MS may have migraines simply because they have one uncommon diagnosis (MS) and one common one (migraine).
population has “ever had a headache.” MS, while not common, is also not rare – it is estimated that 400,000 people in the United States have MS. Migraines are common (approximately 40 million Americans have migraines), while more than 99 percent of the U.S. However, there are a few issues surrounding migraines and MS that need to be further explored. There is a perception that migraine is more common in people with MS, and there is some reason to think that this may be true. While many people reading this article have MS, many more people worldwide have migraines and other types of headache. Multiple sclerosis and migraine share a lot more than the first letter of their names.