The Ins & Outs Of Migraines

The very first step in being able to find migraine relief is to be able to understand all of the ins and outs about migraines; what they are, what causes them, what triggers them, what the symptoms are, and most importantly for finding migraine relief – how to treat them. There is an old saying that goes “with knowledge comes wisdom”. The more a migraine sufferer, or a loved one who watches their family or friend go thru the pain and suffering of dealing with migraine attacks is able to understand about how migraines work the more successful they will become in finding migraine relief, and in some cases even be able to accomplish migraine prevention much more often than ever before in their lives.

What is a Migraine?

First of all a migraine is much different than an afternoon headache that can be done away with by simply taking a few over the counter medications. A migraine headache is not just an excuse to get out of a responsibility; in fact often times migraine headaches can be so bad that they physically cause a person to not be able to fulfill their responsibilities. By medical definition a headache that requires migraine relief is a neurological disorder, this disorder can be an occurrence that only happens once or twice in a person’s lifetime, or in most cases becomes a chronic occurrence. The main cause of migraine headaches is enlarged blood vessels. When the blood vessels in the brain become enlarged it creates excruciating pain, and often times other symptoms as well, and until the blood vessels begin to decrease the expansion the migraine relief is difficult to find.

What Triggers a Migraine?

There is much research that shows that those individuals who are searching for migraine relief my in fact have specific triggers that set off their migraine attacks. These migraine triggers tend to differ between individuals, as well as in males versus females. Most often migraine triggers tend to be the result of either an environmental or physiological upset that can lead to the need for then finding migraine relief. A few of the most common triggers that occur in migraine sufferers are:

• Stress – stress is known to play a key role in triggering migraines. If stress reduction or management techniques can be adapted then more migraine relief can be found.
• Sleep – a person’s sleep habits (or lack of) can affect migraines. It is important that enough, but not too much rest be obtained in order to reach maximum migraine relief.
• Fasting – skipping meals or a lack of nutrients in the body can set off a migraine, thus it is advised that those prone to needing migraine relief not participate in fasting.
• Hormones – can also play a role in migraines. Women especially around their monthly cycles may find the need for more migraine relief than at other times of the month because of the effects of hormones on migraines.
• Lighting – can be a factor in developing a migraine, especially lighting that is bright, high intensity, visually stimulating, or flashing.
• Smells – especially smoke, or cigarettes
• Foods – research has shown that certain foods, especially aged cheeses or chocolate, tend to aggravate migraines.
• Alcohol – a chemical that is found in alcohol, Tyramine, is found by research to trigger migraines in individuals who are prone to them.
• Caffeine – while used to help boost energy in most individuals, it can gave a reverse effect on those prone to headaches and/or migraines, especially when ingested in overindulgent doses.

What are the Symptoms?

The symptoms of a migraine include symptoms of pain as well as other symptoms that often go along with or are considered difficulties as a result of the pain itself. The most common symptoms that make a person need to find migraine relief are:

• Pain – this pain can be felt in the head as a throbbing or pounding feeling. The pain can take place usually on one side of the forehead. However, it can also occur in the back of the head or above one eye. The pain is usually described as being unilateral in nature. Studies show that nearly 1/3 of most migraines however are described as being felt on both sides, or bilaterally. Often times the pain in the head that is felt during a migraine attack will alternate from one side of the head to the other during subsequent migraine attacks.
• Other Symptoms – Other symptoms that commonly occur when an individual is in need of migraine relief include symptoms that take place when the sympathetic nervous system kicks in due to a response of the extreme head pain. The sympathetic nervous system is an innate way of the body trying to find migraine relief by trying to deal with or cope with the stress of the migraine attack itself. Some of these symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, lightheadedness, paleness, coldness in the hand and/or feet, as well as sensitivity to light and/or sound.

How to find Migraine Relief

Obviously for any individual who experiences a migraine attack, whether once in their lives or on a more chronic basis, being able to find migraine relief is of high priority. Some forms of finding migraine relief can be found in the use of prescription medications, and while often times these are necessary as a last resort, prescription medications can become habit forming as well as cause negative side effects. Other ways to find migraine relief can come thru the use of therapies such as chiropractic care, physiotherapy, massage, acupuncture, or even biofeedback. Migraine relief can also be found by the use of certain supplements or herbal remedies that have been proven to help in aiding with migraine relief.

Tags: blurred vision, constipation, headache, migraine attack, migraine headahces, migraine relief, migraine symptoms, migraine treatment, Migraines, nausea, vomiting