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Facts About Migraine
By peace | September 12, 2006
What is a migraine?
Although the exact cause isn’t known, many experts consider migraine to be an inherited condition where the brain and its seritonin-controlled blood vessels are involved. These headaches can often be triggered by many factors, including stress, certain foods, glaring lights, physical exercise and changes in hormone levels. Migraine headaches usually occur on one side of the head, have a pulsating or throbbing quality, are moderate to severe in intensity and are worsened by physical activity.
Migraine headaches are easily misdiagnosed and often are incorrectly treated. Their causes may be environmental, dietary or stress related. They are more common in women and their occurrence may be related to estrogen levels since they are often seen with greater frequency during the premenstrual period. Migraine headaches may disappear completely during pregnancy when estrogen levels are continuously high.
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may accompany the throbbing pain of a migraine headache.
Migraine headaches are typically located on one side of the head (unilateral), and are accompanied by a throbbing sensation and sensitivity to light, sound and movement. The pain may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting and can continue for 4 to 24 hours. Migraine headaches may occur any time in life, but often begin in the early teen years and become less common in later years. Women are more commonly affected than men, and there is a strong genetic link to migraine, with up to 90% of all patients reporting a family history of migraines. Many factors have been identified as possibly precipitating migraine headaches, including certain foods, alcohol, bright sun exposure, intense emotional stress, irregular sleeping patterns and fluctuations in estrogen levels.
What are the symptoms of a migraine?
Migraine is a characterized by throbbing head pain, usually located on one side of the head and often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and/or sound. The combination of disabling pain and associated symptoms often prevents sufferers from performing daily activities. Symptoms, incidence and severity vary by individual.
Symptoms: The classic migraine includes a group of warning symptoms, which last one-half hour or less, followed by the headache pain. These symptoms may begin with mood changes, which may begin 24 hours before the headache, increased appetite/thirst or tiredness. At headache onset, the patient may experience an “aura,” which includes visual disturbances, such as bright, flashing lights in lines or spots. Other warning symptoms include a numbness or tingling on one side of the face or body or speaking difficulties. The symptoms usually disappear completely before the headache begins.
What causes migraines and what can be done to treat them?
While there are not definite answers to the causes of migraine, healthcare professionals are gaining an understanding of what happens when a migraine attack is in progress. Many things may trigger a migraine. Triggers are not the same for everyone and what causes a migraine in one person may relieve it in another. Triggers may include one or more of the following categories: diet, activity, environment, emotions, medications and hormones, irregular sleep cycles and skipping or delaying meals.
Migraine can be effectively managed. With the help of a healthcare provider, patients can identify and alleviate their symptoms with an appropriate treatment regime. Medications generally fall into two categories:
- Preventive – Taken on a daily basis, preventive medications can help reduce the number of attacks in patients who experience any disability from migraine.
- Abortive – Abortive therapy treats the symptoms of migraine after the attack begins. Many medications available to treat an acute attack must be taken as soon as the attack occurs, otherwise they may be less effective.
Healthcare providers have many options available for the treatment of migraine, so if the first treatment plan isn’t effective, the next plan probably will be. The chances are very good that migraine attacks can eventually be greatly reduced or even eliminated entirely.
Migraine headaches are mis-diagnosed as frequently as they are diagnosed correctly. They are often confused with tension-type or sinus headaches. To aid in the diagnosis, keep a headache diary and record when the headache began and how long it lasted, possible triggers and the location and character of the pain.
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