MIGRAINES AND OTHER CONDITIONS

WHAT ARE MIGRAINES?
Headaches are common among people and have been for centuries. Everybody gets a headache but not everyone suffers a migraine headache. These are really bad ones. Millions of people around the world get them and it doesn’t matter how old or young you are. Individuals that have migraines in childhood will usually have them as adults and people with family histories showing ancestors having these headaches will most likely have them too. More women suffer migraines than men and that may be caused by hormonal fluctuations at puberty, menstruation and pregnancy, then later with the onset of menopause, the migraines generally decrease in frequency. Migraines are also unpredictable and occur anytime and anywhere.

Classified as a neurological disorder, migraines are best described as a throbbing, pulsating or sharp pain in the head usually on one side but can be on the back of the head as well as from behind the eyes. No two people suffer the same when it comes to pain and that also goes for the other
symptoms that accompany migraines.

Some people experience an aura which is like a warning system heralding the future presence of a migraine. This occurs about 30 minutes before the actual migraine sets in and when it does the aura fades away. The aura manifests itself by the appearance of wavy or squiggly lines, bright lights and colored rays or blind spots, blurred and double vision and any out of the ordinary vision problems. You almost think you are hallucinating. Besides the aura, a feeling of nausea, anxiety, depression, vomiting and difficulties in sleeping as well as cognitive and memory problems escort the migraine and can truly make the person miserable.

The exact cause of migraines is unknown; however, they can be triggered into existence by sound, smell, bright lights and certain foods. This really makes it hard for doctors to diagnose this condition and why so many sufferers find their treatment so hit-and -miss.

WHO’S AT RISK?
Not everyone has migraines and it’s important to know if you are prone to have them. People who have a genetic history do have a higher risk for migraines as well as those who have migraines in childhood or in their teens. There are also people who have had injuries to the head or neck areas that might bring on these headaches. Any substantial trauma can trigger a migraine as well as having an infectious process or hemorrhage in or around the brain tissues. Sometimes migraines are associated with other conditions or syndromes and that’s when it becomes complicated.

CONDITIONS LINKED WITH MIGRAINES
There are many diseases or disorders linked to migraines. Because of this fact a few are listed below:

 Hypothyroidism (low thyroid activity) and other thyroid diseases are now known to be associated with migraines.
 Epilepsy, a neurological disorder manifested by seizures, is present in about 6% of migraine sufferers.
 A risk of stroke especially for young women under 45 years old is 4 times higher in women with migraines compared to those without migraines. That goes for people that smoke and who have migraines on top of that too.
 Major depression coupled with anxiety is often linked with migraines.
 Bulimia nervosa has also been related with migraines and studies have shown about 39% of migraine patients show signs and symptoms of this disorder.
 People who have fibromyalgia also get migraines.
 Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia, and diabetes are also associated with migraines. If the blood sugar levels are somewhat controlled the reoccurrence and intensity of the migraine often decreases, according to recent studies.
 Some suggest a link between a common heart condition (mitral valve prolapse) and circulatory disorders.
 Cardiovascular diseases in middle-aged men.
 Migraines are comorbid to bipolar disorder. Comorbid means that the two conditions occur together but neither causes the other.
 Irritable bowel syndrome is often brought on by migraines.
 Heart disease.
 Nasal and sinus inflammations are sometimes tied in with migraines.

A lot of these syndromes can be the by-product of migraines and can be treated. Some of the best ways is to find out what triggers them and try to avoid them. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

THOUGHTS IN CLOSING
According to some studies, migraines are a neurotransmitter problem. This means that the messages sent to the brain somehow get abnormally processed by the nerve ending surrounding the blood vessels in the brain causing them to swell and transmit pain. Stimuli on the outside (light, sound, smell) are interpreted as painful when in reality they would not be. This is one thought as to what happens when suffering a migraine and believe me, there are many more suppositions on migraines. Hopefully with the constant research in this field a cure will be found and we won’t have to rely on theories.

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