It also helps to live a healthy lifestyle. Keep a journal of your attacks so you can figure out the things that trigger them. To keep from getting a MBA, it helps to avoid the things that usually cause one. Can Migraines with Brainstem Aura Be Prevented? Your doctor may prescribe a medication that treats regular migraines, such as triptans. You might take pain relievers such as acetaminophen ( Anacin, Panadol, Tylenol), ibuprofen ( Advil, Motrin), and naproxen ( Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn), as well as nausea medicines such as chlorpromazine, metoclopramide ( Reglan), and prochlorperazine ( Compro). Treatments for MBA generally aim to relieve symptoms of pain and nausea. How Are Migraines with Brainstem Aura Treated? They’ll may also use tests like MRI, CT scans, and nerve tests to see what’s causing your symptoms. They’ll give you a thorough exam and ask you questions about your symptoms. To rule those out, you’ll need to see a brain doctor, called a neurologist. Symptoms of MBA can also seem like the signs of other more serious conditions, like seizure disorders, stroke, meningitis, or brain tumors. But the hemiplegic kind usually causes weakness of one side of the body or trouble speaking. The condition has many of the same symptoms as another type, called hemiplegic migraine. How Are Migraines with Brainstem Aura Diagnosed?Īfter you’ve had at least two attacks of at least two auras, your doctor may make the diagnosis of MBA. So if you have any symptoms included in the last 9 bullet points above and they have not been diagnosed as a MBA, get emergency medical help right away. When the headache starts, you might feel an intense throbbing or pulsating pain on one or both sides of your head or sometimes at the back of your head. Some of these symptoms can also happen with life-threatening conditions such as stroke. Symptoms differ for everyone, but some are typical:Īura symptoms may last between 5 minutes and 1 hour. What Are the Symptoms of Migraine with Brainstem Aura? Nitrites in some foods, like sandwich meat, bacon, and processed foods.What Causes Migraine with Brainstem Aura? Women are slightly more likely to have them than men. Generally, though, they start in childhood or the teen years. Who's at Risk for Migraine with Brainstem Aura? Migraines with brainstem aura are known by several different names: You may feel drained for up to 24 hours after it’s over. This type of migraine can last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours. The headache pain of a basilar migraine often starts on one side of the head and then gradually spreads and gets stronger.

These changes, called an aura, can happen about 10 minutes to 45 minutes before your head hurts. They cause symptoms such as dizziness, double vision, and lack of coordination. Migraine with brainstem aura or MBA (formerly known as basilar migraines) are headaches that start in the lower part of the brain, called the brainstem.

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