Learning About Migrainous Stroke

I have been reading a lot about hemiplegic migraine for my blog posts and migrainous stoke is a topic I did not know very much about. I wanted to know if I was at risk of having a migrainous stroke and what the symptoms are.

A migrainous stroke is also called a "migrainous infarction." It is the term given to an ischemic stroke (a stroke due to clot) that happens during a migraine. This tends to happen alongside prolonged aura symptoms that last for more than an hour. They are considered a complication of migraine, however, the overall risk for this type of stroke is small. According to the American Migraine Foundation, there are 800,000 strokes in the U.S. each year, and about 2,000 to 3,000 may be linked to migraine.

Women who are at risk of having a migrainous infraction is highest in premenopausal women who have migraine with aura, in those who smoke, and in those who use hormonal contraceptives.

The following characteristics must be present to have a migrainous infarction:

• The migraine attack must be similar to previous migraine attacks.

• There must have been an aura, typically a visual one.

• At least one of the aura symptoms must persist for an hour or more.

• A stroke must be seen on a CT or MRI scan.

• All other possible causes of stroke must be ruled out.

Along with the typical migraine symptoms, migrainous infarction symptoms generally start suddenly and may include:

• Visual disturbances such as flashes of light, blind spots, and blurry vision.

• Weakness or numbness especially on one side of the body.

• Aphasia (loss of the ability to speak).

• Confusion.

• Balance and coordination issues that cause difficulty walking.

Migrainous infarction treatment involves stopping the ischemic stroke you are having. Getting diagnosed and treated fast is extremely important. Getting to the hospital within 3 hours of your first stroke symptoms start allows the doctor to give an IV injection of medication called a thrombolytic, which breaks up the blood clot causing a stroke. It can boost your chances to make a full recovery or have less disability. Other treatment options are the same as it is for any ischemic stroke and may include medications to treat stroke, supplemental treatments, and preventative medications.

You can help prevent migrainous infarctions from occurring by preventing your migraine attacks and also following healthy lifestyle changes to lower your chances of having a stroke. These include quitting smoking, following a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.

Courtesy of verywellhealth.com