Migraine is a complex neurological condition that extends far beyond the typical throbbing headache most people associate with it. While head pain remains the most recognizable symptom, migraine attacks can produce a wide array of additional symptoms that affect multiple body systems. Understanding these diverse manifestations helps explain why migraine is considered a systemic neurological disorder rather than simply a headache condition.

Can Migraine Cause Fever?

The relationship between migraine and fever is nuanced and often misunderstood. Migraine itself does not directly cause true fever. However, the situation is more complex than this simple answer suggests. During severe migraine episodes, some individuals may experience fever-like sensations, including increased body temperature, chills, or sweating. These symptoms occur due to dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system during migraine attacks. The areas of the brain associated with migraine also control body temperature and muscle movement. This means that changes in the brain during a migraine attack can lead to alterations in body temperature regulation and shivering.

While fever is not a typical symptom of migraines, some individuals report experiencing fever-like sensations during severe migraine episodes. This can include increased body temperature, chills, or sweating. Research indicates that fever appears rarely during migraine attacks and typically only occurs during severe episodes.

When fever does occur alongside headache, it usually indicates another underlying condition rather than the migraine itself. Various infectious diseases, including viral infections like influenza or COVID-19, can cause both headache and fever simultaneously. In such cases, the illness may trigger a migraine attack in susceptible individuals, but the fever stems from the underlying infection rather than the migraine.

Can Migraine Cause Dizziness?

Yes, migraine can definitely cause dizziness. About one in ten adults in the United States report regular migraines, with a quarter of those people experiencing dizziness and vertigo alongside their migraines.

The connection between migraine and dizziness is well-established through a specific type called vestibular migraine. This condition affects the vestibular system, which helps the body maintain balance. When this system is disrupted during a migraine attack, it can lead to various forms of dizziness.

• Vestibular migraine symptoms include:
• Vertigo (sensation of spinning or movement)
• Unsteadiness and loss of balance
• Sensitivity to motion
• Dizziness that can last from minutes to hours, sometimes even days

During a migraine attack, the brain becomes much more sensitive to outside stimuli like noise and light. In many migraine sufferers, this sensitivity leads to painful headaches, but some may experience dizziness or vertigo without the throbbing headache. This phenomenon typically involves vestibular migraines, which specifically affect the vestibular system responsible for balance control.

Up to 40% of migraine sufferers will experience spinning or balance problems as part of their migraine symptoms. There is usually a strong connection between headaches and vertigo, though not all episodes of vertigo are accompanied by a migraine headache.

Can Migraine Cause Diarrhea?

Yes, migraine can cause diarrhea as part of a broader spectrum of gastrointestinal symptoms. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are very common among people with migraine disease. These symptoms are part of a condition known as gastroparesis.

The gastrointestinal symptoms during migraine attacks are not simply a result of pain or stress. Rather, they represent distinct symptoms of migraine disease, just like sensitivity to light or sound. Gastroparesis is the medical term for a condition in which the stomach muscles do not properly contract to propel food through the stomach. This causes the stomach to either empty too quickly or hold food longer than normal.

During a migraine attack, the digestive system slows down significantly. The medical term for this is gastric stasis or delayed emptying, which tends to take longer than normal during an attack. This results in undigested food remaining in the stomach, and the digestive process can be slower than usual in the intestines as well.

The connection between migraine and gastrointestinal symptoms extends beyond individual attacks. Research shows a physiological link between gastrointestinal disorders and migraine, with studies demonstrating that gastroparesis and functional dyspepsia are comorbidities frequently reported by patients with migraine. These gastric disorders are associated with delayed gastric emptying and can affect the absorption and efficacy of migraine medications.

Can Migraine Cause Nausea?

Nausea is one of the most common symptoms of migraine. Studies show that close to three-quarters of patients experience vomiting and almost 95% feel nauseous during migraine attacks.

The mechanism behind migraine-induced nausea is complex and involves multiple brain regions. Research using PET scans has demonstrated that nausea can occur as a premonitory symptom in migraine, independent of pain and trigeminal activation. The activation occurs in the rostral dorsal medulla and periaqueductal gray (PAG), which include the nucleus tractus solitarius, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve, and nucleus ambiguus - all integral to brain circuits mediating nausea.

When experiencing a migraine attack, it affects multiple parts of the body, with the stomach reacting particularly strongly. The digestive system slows down during attacks, and this gastric stasis or delayed emptying results in undigested food remaining in the stomach. Doctors believe this is the most likely cause of nausea and vomiting during migraine attacks.

The hypothalamus, which is involved in various physiologic processes including nociceptive processing and autonomic regulation, shows activation prior to the onset of migraine pain. Hypothalamic neurons that regulate homeostasis may underlie the burdensome non-pain symptoms that occur during the prodrome phase and other migraine phases, including nausea and vomiting.

Nausea can accompany each of the four stages of a migraine, so even after the headache pain subsides, patients might find their stomachs are still upset. The most recent theories point to either the nervous system or changes in the brain stem during an attack as possible causes of migraine nausea and vomiting.

Can Migraine Cause Chills?

Yes, migraine can cause chills. Migraine chills, or feeling cold and shivery alongside a throbbing headache, are common migraine symptoms. This occurs because the areas of the brain that link to migraine also control temperature regulation.

Research estimates that chills affect a significant portion of migraine sufferers. Chills are characterized by shivering or shaking linked to rapid changes in body temperature. While experiencing chills, muscles respond with involuntary shivering to warm up the body. In migraine, chills feel similar to shivers that happen when someone is cold and could be related to central core temperature regulation. The development of chills may relate to changes in the hypothalamus during the prodrome phase of migraine. The hypothalamus also regulates body temperature, and a drop in body temperature can lead to chills and shivering. Several factors can contribute to the development of migraine chills, including brain changes that occur before the headache phase begins.

During the hours and days leading up to a migraine attack, some people experience body chills. Changes in the brain and blood vessels that occur during a migraine attack may cause chills, shivering, or sweating. The areas of the brain often associated with migraine also control body temperature and muscle movement, which means changes in the brain during a migraine attack can lead to changes in body temperature and shivering.

In addition to the characteristic migraine headache, migraine symptoms may include sweating and chills, along with other autonomic symptoms like abdominal pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, blurred vision, and pallor. These temperature-related symptoms are part of the broader constellation of autonomic symptoms that can occur during migraine attacks.

Conclusion

Migraine is a complex neurological condition that produces symptoms far beyond head pain. The ability of migraine to cause fever-like sensations, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, and chills demonstrates the systemic nature of this disorder. These symptoms arise from the involvement of multiple brain regions, including the hypothalamus, brainstem, and various neural circuits that control autonomic functions, balance, and gastrointestinal processes.

Understanding these diverse manifestations of migraine helps explain why it significantly impacts quality of life and why it requires comprehensive management approaches. The interconnected nature of these symptoms reflects the complex pathophysiology underlying migraine attacks and highlights the importance of recognizing migraine as more than just a headache disorder.