"Silent Migraine"

Tuesday December 17, 1991

Slept pretty well but hot again using just a sheet. It was really a cold night. Frank walked to the dentist and back.

In the afternoon we went to Kaiser for my eye doctor appointment. He did lots of tests and told me the spells I've been having with the aura of lights that blurs my vision for 5-10 minutes is a "silent migraine". People who have migraine headaches get the aura also. I'm lucky I don't get the headache part as well.

We hurried home for a nice dinner and TV.

Below is a description of migraine headaches from WebMD:

Migraine is a neurological disorder that generally includes headaches. But it doesn't always. Some people have "silent migraine" -- a migraine without the symptom of headache pain.
To understand silent migraine, it helps to know the four distinct phases of migraines.
Prodrome. The "prodrome" phase warns that a migraine is coming. Symptoms include changes in your mental state, such as irritability or confusion, and physical signs such as thirst or diarrhea. One out of every four migraine sufferers experiences prodrome symptoms as early as 24 hours before the migraine pain attacks.
Aura. The phenomenon called aura is best known for its unusual visual symptoms. But other sensory, motor, and language disturbances can occur. About one in five migraine sufferers experiences aura. Aura is a phase that typically lasts about an hour.
Pain. Migraine pain itself is often on one side of the head. It's often a throbbing pain and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. The pain phase can last from several to 72 hours.
Resolution. After a migraine, many people experience deep fatigue and general malaise for up to 24 hours.

WebMD goes on to explain some of the triggers for migraine. One of those triggers is the hormone changes of menopause. Since Mom is experiencing night sweats, which are related to hormone changes, it makes sense that this is also causing her silent migraine episodes.