WHAT IS A MIGRAINE HEADACHE?
The worst headache you can imagine with pain so great it makes you feel like a volcano erupted inside your head, best describes a migraine headache. Actually it’s a neurological disorder that might be hereditary. The pain is typically on one side of the head and may be near the ears or around the eyes. At the time of an attack the sensitivity to sound or light gets really heightened. Besides the pain, other effects such as nausea, vomiting, sleeplessness, anxiety, fatigue and depression accompany this disorder.
For some people an aura precedes the migraine, thus giving the person a warning sign of an impending migraine. The aura consists of bright lights flashing or blind spots or vision problems like blurred or double vision and wavy lines. All these visual abnormalities disappear with the onset of the migraine itself.
Migraines are unpredictable and can be quite disabling. Women suffer more of these headaches than men. The exact cause is unknown; however there are certain things that can trigger a migraine. Since there is no cure, other preventative methods are used to attain a normal life.
MIGRAINE TRIGGERS
Depending on your sensitivity level, stimuli like strong odors, head trauma, certain foods containing tyramine (which is a natural compound found in aged cheeses), and loud noises, especially unexpected ones have been known to set a migraine off. A hormonal change, especially during menstruation or menopause, produces migraines in countless women worldwide. Other factors that set off migraine headaches are changing weather conditions, just skipping a meal, exercising, smoking or extreme fatigue.
Because many everyday things can trigger a migraine, it’s important to get control by learning your migraine pattern. Easily done by keeping a journal of what you eat, where you frequently go, the times you do these things, the events happening in your life that could be stressful or exciting or how much sleep did you get and the quality of it. Once you find out what may or may not bring about an attack, you can, by process of elimination, try to avoid the triggers all together and see if that doesn’t reduce the frequency of the migraines.
Besides recording everything you do, talking with your doctor and seeking help from support groups can also be very beneficial in maintaining a healthy and normal lifestyle.
Tags: Acetaminophen (a.k.a. Tylenol), migraine pain, migraine relief, Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), over the counter medication, treating migraines
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