A Headache Is Treatable

Most headaches are often short lived with no reason for anxiety; there are times when a headache causes severe tension in the facial muscles putting a strain on the neck, shoulders eyes these headaches are called tension headaches and can be treated with over the counter medication. Some forty million people put up with with headaches throughout a given year making headaches a very common complaint, the concern is not that a headache has occurred but the frequency of the headache as well as the length in which the headache last. If frequent headaches (not migraines) occur and last longer than a few hours, medical attention might be needed in order to insure that the pain being felt is truly a headache and not something more. It is important to understand the differences between a migraine and a normal/tension headache; in doing so, you can better equip yourself toward preventative means than just focusing on the temporary remedial work. Pay close attention to the next few points as they should explain in more detail what a headache versus a migraine looks like.

• A headache attacks quickly and with no warning where as a migraine we learned has preemptive warning signs.
• Migraines can last up to three days headaches a few hours.
• A headache though bothersome does not typically result in a loss of productivity and the inability to function.
• Headaches feel more like a pulsing feeling inside your head; migraines on the other hand tend to be felt only on one side of the head.
• Some level of irritability might occur with a headache but typically subsides after some over the counter medicine has been taken, sadly those suffering with a migraine do not bounce back as quickly.
• Feelings of nausea, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound are all characters of a migraine and will not be present with a headache.

What’s In A Stage…
The reason that a migraine can become so painful has to do with the four different stages that a migraine progresses through. A migraine takes time to develop and overtime the migraine grows to the point of intensity that the migraine victim looses his or her ability to think clearly. When a migraine develops it causes the blood vessels in the brain to expand to the point of causing severe throbbing/pounding in the head but when does the pain start? Unlike a headache a migraine develops overtime and takes a while to fully manifest and cause pain. As you get to know the different phase of a migraine, it becomes clear as to which phase the migraine pain develops and which phase brings some relief.

Prodrome Phase
The prodrome stage is the most important of the four migraine stages it is the stage that presents the best opportunity for the migraine victim to implement a treatment. The first stage of a migraine comes with no pain only symptoms like fatigue, obsessive yawning, food cravings and depression. The symptoms of the first migraine stage lasts for two or three days.

Aura Phase
The aura stage is not had by all but when the aura stage is experienced it brings with is symptoms like blurred vision, black spots behind the eyes and even moments of dizziness. The aura stage creeps on mere hours before the onset of the worst of the migraine pain.

Headache Phase
The headache stage is the worst of the migraine pain. The headache stage can last up to three days and brings with it miserable symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, cognitive confusion and sensitivity to light and sound.

Postdrome Phase
The postdrome stage is the fourth and final migraine stage. It is during this fourth migraine stage that migraine victim has several days to try and recoup from the migraine marathon. During this fourth migraine stage, mild symptoms are still felt like head pain and muscle weakness.

Migraine Treatment Options
There are many migraine treatment options available to the end consumer on the market today some then are pill poppers with a bunch of tag-a-long side effects such as Triptans and Ergots, while other methods focus on natural alternatives to drugging yourself in an unsafe manner. The following are some of the migraine treatment options:

• Prescription Meds – Triptans, Ergots, Anti-depressants…
• Acupuncture
• Massage Therapy with Aroma Therapy
• Chiropractic Adjustment
• Natural Supplements – Migraine Support Formula

Tags: aura, headache, migraien headache, migraine, migraine phases, migraine treatment, postdrome, prodrome