GOT MIGRAINE?

WHAT IS A MIGRAINE?
Migraine headaches are experienced by millions of people around the world. Actually they can start at a young age, the youngest documented was 18 months, and range all the way up to the 70’s, but are most common between 15 and 55 years of age. More women suffer these headaches than men and may be caused by a hormonal issue.

Migraines are described as a sharp, throbbing or pulsating pain in the head usually coming from the back of the head or located on one side of the head. The headaches typically begin as a dull ache and develop gradually in strength and are recurring and last anywhere from 4 hours to several days. Anyone having one of these headaches can testify to the intensity of the pain which increases with physical activity.
The frequency of migraine headaches vary individually and can range from several in a month to twice a year. It just depends on the person’s susceptibility to this condition. I know these headaches are very painful and can put your life on hold for a while and it’s hard for some people to understand how it feels to have a migraine, but patience and understanding are needed as well as education about migraines if the sufferers are helped by family members or friends.

Besides the pain the symptoms for migraines include nausea, vomiting, heightened sensitivity to lights, sounds and smells, difficulties in sleeping and cognitive complications in thinking and problem solving. Both long term and short term memory also can be affected. Sometimes an “aura” precedes the migraine by about 30 minutes causing visual anomalies such as blind spots, wavy lines, blurred or double vision. These visionary problems generally disappear when the migraine arrives. Auras are sort of like an early warning signal of an impending migraine.

WHO’S AT RISK?
Migraines are hereditary. Anyone with a family history of these headaches has a good chance to have one. The old wife’s tale of skipping a generation doesn’t apply here.

Women are a high risk naturally because of all the hormonal fluctuations during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and later with the onset of menopause, which usually decreases the frequency of migraines according to a few studies.

People who have suffered injuries from accidents or falls also get migraines. Some diseases can bring on migraines too.
Emotional stress can set off a migraine pretty easy. How many times have you worried or stressed about something and realize sooner or later a dull ache has begun in your head? People who have a high stress job often have a high risk for migraines.

TYPES OF MIGRAINE
There are many types of migraine headaches. The most common ones are listed below:

 The common migraine which is the type most suffered is accompanied by depression, anxiety and fatigue. About 80% to 85% of the people who have migraine get these.
 Migraines with aura.
 Cluster headaches are migraines with an intense quality of pain which is constant. This type recurs often in a cluster period and recurs at the same time each day. It is generally located behind or around the eye.
 Sinus and tension headaches.
 Basilar artery migraine which usually attacks young women because it’s tied in with hormonal changes.
Some of the rarer types are mentioned below:
 Ophthalmoplegic migraine which is pain around the eye and paralysis of the muscles around the eye. This can be very serious. It could mean there is pressure on the nerves in the eye or an aneurysm.
 Status migrainosis is a migraine lasting 72 hours or longer. So intense are the symptoms of pain and nausea that these sufferers might be hospitalized.
 Retinal migraine which is located behind the eye and causes loss of vision in the one eye with an additional ache that spreads to the rest of the head.
 Hemiplegic migraine which causes temporary paralysis, numbness, dizziness or vision changes on one side of the body.
SOME SUGGESTED TREATMENTS
Because we are all different the treatments for migraine vary. What may work for you might not work for someone else, so trial and error is used to find out the kind of treatment that might help you the most. Some suggestions are:
 Medications either prescribed or over the counter. Be sure to check with your physician first.
 A quiet dark place in which to lie down.
 Massaging the temples and or the back of the head to relieve the stress.
 Acupuncture.
 Pain management.
 Talking with your doctor or support group.
 Learning to relax by doing something peaceful and enjoyable.

Some people study what triggers a migraine for them and then avoid the trigger. This would help alleviate the frequency of the migraine. Be sure to write these things down so you won’t forget and seek medical help if the headaches are unusual in nature.

Tags: aura, headache, migraine stages, migraine symptoms, migraine treatment, postdrome, prodrome