To Make Matters Worse

Migraine headaches are no laughing matter; they are painful outbursts that can leave an individual incapacitated for several days.  A migraine headache is caused by an enlargement of blood vessels that creates a series of chemicals to be released and attack arteries in the brain. Once the chemicals have been released to wreak their havoc, the enlarging of the arteries begins to send painful symptoms that only magnifies until the arteries have stopped expanding or migraine relief has been found.

Symptoms of a migraine headache can vary from moderate to intense and can affect people differently, however, listed below are the more common symptoms associated with and described by migraine headache sufferers.

• An intense throbbing, pounding feeling      typically located on one side of the forehead
  • Pain can also generate in the back of       the head
  • Pain can formulate right above one       eye
• The pain is often described as      unilateral meaning the pain is typically felt or experienced on one side      of the head.
  • Reports have shown that about one       third of most migraine headaches are described as being felt on both       sides of the head also referred to as bilateral.
  • The pain felt from the migraine on       one side of the head can alternate to the other side of the head during       the next migraine attack. If you frequent migraine attacks on the same       side of the head please speak with your doctor immediately this could imply       something more serious is occurring.
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Paleness
• Coldness in the hands and feet
• Sensitivity to light and sound

Headaches and migraines often get confused with one another so it is important that the victim experiencing head pain is sure that the pain being felt is truly the result of a migraine so that the proper treatment can be implemented and the faster relief can be found.

Is This Head Pain Truly A Migraine?

The onset of a headache is nuisance and can cause productivity to temporarily stop until it subsides but how do you differentiate between a headache and a migraine? Though both a headache and a migraine have some similarities, there are a few distinct characteristics of a headache that sets it apart from a migraine.  Pay close attention to the next few bullet points they should explain in more detail what a headache vs. a migraine looks like.

• A headache attacks quickly and with no      warning where as a migraine we learned has preemptive warning signs.
• Migraines can last up to three days      headaches a few hours.
• A headache though bothersome does not      typically result in a loss of productivity and the inability to function.
• 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.
• 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.
• Feelings of nausea, dizziness,      sensitivity to light and sound are all characters of a migraine and will      not be present with a headache.

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 forty 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.

Red Flags That A Migraine Is On The Way

The warning sides that tell if a migraine is on the verge of breaking through may be overlooked or explained away, however if these warning signs are noted and charted migraines can be stopped before they get started.

• Sleepiness is often explained away by      an overactive brain, bed discomfort and a million other reasons but      drowsiness is a sign that a migraine might be in the near future.
• Sudden irritability or changes in      mood. Irritability can often be chalked away as not having had a good      night’s rest, be cautious of overlooking unexplained irritability.
• Fatigue
• Bouts of depression
• Obsessive yawning
• Cravings for foods high in sugar of      lathered in salt

Tags: headaches, migraine attacks, migraine treatment, Migraines, side effects, symptoms, treating migraines, vascular headachce