Rainy Headache Days

I hate it when it rains as I usually get a migraine headache and have to call the rest of the day off. Migraine triggers are difficult to distinguish and very few migraine sufferers are aware that they even exist. A migraine trigger could be influenced by one’s environment or any physiological upset that can lead to the onset of a headache; those who are prone to headaches are more susceptible. Clinical studies have shown that the triggers listed below are common ones that if aware of could help decrease the incapacitating consequence a migraine could have.

 Lighting – lighting has been known to enhance mood and is often used as a mood enhancer however, flashing, bright high intensity and visually stimulating light sources can be a factor in developing painful migraine symptoms.
 Foods
o Aged cheese, Chocolate
o Caffeine – If used correctly and under the careful watch of a medical professional, certain forms of caffeine can be a helpful migraine treatment. Caffeine is a wonderful “upper” that serves as a great aid in helping one get through his or her day. Caution must be had due to the addictive nature of caffeine. For those that suffer with chronic migraines, caffeine can become a vital part of one’s daily treatment in avoiding a migraine headache. Caffeine can also be considered a migraine trigger when it is consumed in large doses. The possible side effects it can have such as: anxiety, involuntary muscle spasms, insomnia as well as possible stomach pain. Though caffeine can be thought of as a migraine trigger, caffeine is also a common ingredient in several medications used to treat migraine headaches. Caffeine additives are said to help increase the effectiveness of migraine medication by 40%!
 Smells – cigarette smoke
 Alcohol – Tyramine is a chemical found in wine that has been proven to activate a migraine quicker than if no alcohol was used. I have felt this before and it is not good.

What Happens Now
Migraine headaches develop in the brain, a migraine is formed when a migraine trigger is encountered. Once a trigger has been encountered the body begins to react chemically. The blood vessels in the brain begin to expand and cause a throbbing/pounding sensation to occur. This throbbing / pounding sensation continues until the blood vessels reach their full expansion or migraine relief is implemented. A damaging chemical is released into the brain sometime throughout the blood vessel expansion. This chemical begins to attack the brains arteries, thus releasing a whole slew of miserable migraine symptoms like nausea, vomiting constipation, blurred vision and cognitive difficulties.

Headache VS Migraine
It is important to distinguish between sinus or allergy headaches and a neurological, vascular migraine attacks. Most headaches are often short lived with no cause for concern 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 40 million people suffer 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. Here are some tall-tale signs between the two:

• A headache though bothersome does not typically result in a loss of productivity and the inability to function.
• A headache attacks quickly and with no warning where as a migraine we learned has preemptive warning signs.
• Feelings of nausea, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound are all characters of a migraine and will not be present with a headache.
• Migraines can last up to three days headaches a few hours.
• A bout of irritability might occur with a headache but typically resides after some over the counter medicine has been taken, sadly those suffering with a migraine do not bounce back as quickly.
• 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.
So as you can see, a headache is far less of a life-altering issue than a migraine is. Therefore, you must use a migraine treatment option to help minimize the symptoms and the frequency / intensity of the migraine attack.

Tags: constipation, Depression, emotional stress, Fatigue, migraine triggers, strange food cravings, triggers