ABOUT MIGRAINES
Migraines are painful headaches experienced by millions of people around the world. They can at times be very crippling or just a nuisance. More women suffer these headaches then men do and that’s probably due to hormonal changes. Migraines can start at any age but are most prevalent from teen age years to about 60. Besides the pain other symptoms such as nausea, acute sensitivity to loud sounds and bright or flashing lights, strong odors, lack of restful sleep, anxiety, depression and irritability often accompany these awful headaches. Sometimes an aura precedes the migraine, which is manifested by vision problems like squiggly lines, blind spots, blurred or double vision and other visual abnormalities. With the onset of the migraine, these ocular anomalies disappear.
There are so many factors involved that might actually trigger migraines, things like everyday activities or environmental stimuli, that research of this disorder has broadened to other areas not commonly thought of as a trigger.
ALLERGY CONNECTION
Changes in the weather, one of the many triggers and taken for granted by our society, plays a role in the lives of some migraine sufferers. Studies have shown that for some people migraines tend to be more severe and debilitating in the spring rather than the fall or winter seasons. In fact, people who suffer from nasal allergies are 14% more likely to have a migraine while suffering an allergic reaction. People with a family history of allergies and who suffer from other respiratory conditions may be also prone to migraines simply because of the vasodilation (swelling) of the blood vessels occurring in the brain. That’s why migraines are considered a neurovascular condition.
Depending on the person and what they are allergic to, the blood vessels in the brain swell and with the added pressure cause certain chemicals to be released by the nerves bringing on a migraine headache. Histamines, the most likely culprit, are produced by immune cells during an allergic reaction. This process causes the swelling of these blood vessels. Evidently, nasal allergies can trigger a migraine.
To get relief, many people will try any of the over the counter remedies such as anti-histamines. Unfortunately these don’t work on the migraines. Steroid nasal sprays, however, do work for the allergies and may be a way to avoid the seasonal migraines caused by the allergic reactions to pollen, mold, or dust most prevalent in the spring or fall.
Tags: blurred vision, constipation, dizziness, Fatigue, hallucinations, migraine triggers, nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, strange food cravings, vertigo, vomiting, zigzag vision
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