Hi All,
I've had severe migraines pretty much my whole life. Sometimes so bad, I end up in the ER maybe once a year because of the uncontrolled vomiting... not fun! Most times, a 400 mg liquid ibuprofen (extra strength Advil) will reduce it to a normal headache, or nothing at all, but only if I get it into me early enough.
Though I don't get to much visual aura, one of my tells of an oncoming episode is light sensitivity. Screens, bright lights and reflections can also be a trigger for me. And any light at all literally explodes my head during an episode, so that I'm effectively blind.
I was always told that it had something to do with dilated blood vessels, but newer research is showing it's more a neurological condition of the sympathetic system. This is obviously not just a headache!
I found this video helpful to better understanding what's going on with my body, as he does a good job of explaining in fairly simple terms what they think is going on. However, it's not for the squeamish, as he uses real human anatomical specimens to explain.
Hmm... can't post a link to Youtube without the thumbnail being posted here, and that is "graphic". Shows a human brain, so...
YouTube, What is a Migraine, Institute of Human Anatomy. You can look for yourselves if you like. (or just listen if you get grossed out)