READER QUESTION

“I got a migraine while pregnant that affected my ability to speak. What kind of migraine was this and why might it have happened?” Dr Louis Grundlingh says, “This is a basilar migraine. It’s localised in the back part of the brain (called the brainstem) or neck and is caused by a blood vessel going into spasm and reducing blood flow to the brain. Triggers include stress, lack of sleep, caffeine, too much physical activity, high altitudes and, importantly for pregnant women, changes in female hormones. These painful migraines usually start on one side of the head and then spread as it gets stronger and more painful. You may feel nauseous and even vomit, be sensitive to light and sound, have cold hands or feet, be dizzy, have double vision or even temporary blindness, a loss of balance, slurred speech or trouble speaking and may even lose consciousness. It can all be quite frightening, especially as these migraines can last anything from four hours to three days and require a day or more to recover from.”