Triggers, Warning Signs, & Symptoms Of Migraines

There are studies that show that nearly 40% of migraine sufferers experience warning signs or triggers before a migraine begins, as well as specific symptoms that take place while the migraine attack takes place. It is extremely important for individuals who are prone to experience migraine headaches to be aware of these different signs, triggers, as well as symptoms so that immediate treatment can begin as soon as possible in order that relief can be found. Most individuals who experience migraine headaches will have them on a regular or chronic basis, and in order for proper treatment to take place first the knowledge about how the migraine headaches affect an individual must be known.

Triggers

Individuals who suffer from migraine headaches may not be aware that there are specific triggers that can set of the migraine headaches. The triggers that can lead to migraine headaches can be influenced by an individual’s environment or by any physiological change that may lead to a migraine attack. The most common triggers that lead to migraine headaches are as follows:

• Stress – For migraine sufferers it is vital that stress management become a learned trait as stress can more often than not become a very easy trigger for a migraine attack to take place.
• Hormones – This is especially true when a migraine sufferer is Female.
• Lighting – certain lighting such as flashing, bright, high intensity, or stimulating light sources have been known as triggers to migraines.
• Smells – A common smell that seems to be a trigger to migraines is cigarette smoke.
• Alcohol – For those who suffer from migraines, alcohol can often trigger a migraine.
• Caffeine – Too much caffeine in those who are prone to migraines has been known as a trigger.
• Certain Foods – Such as aged cheeses or chocolate are known migraine triggers.

Warning Signs

The most common warning signs that take place before migraine headaches appear can be overlooked if proper attention is not given to them. If an individual who suffers from migraine headaches can understand what the common warning signs are then they can help to stop the migraine headaches in their tracks before they occur in full force, or at the very least prompt treatment can begin to relieve the migraine headaches so that the attack doesn’t last for too long a period of time. The most common warning signs that can take place before migraine headaches occur are:

• Sleepiness – is often explained away by a number of reasons within normal individuals, however, for migraine sufferer’s sleepiness or drowsiness should be notated because it is often a warning sign that a migraine could take place.
• Mood – changes to mood, or sudden irritability are another warning sign of a possible migraine attack.
• Fatigue in general
• Bouts of Depression
• Obsessive Yawning
• Cravings for Foods – especially those high in sugar or salt.

Symptoms

As stated above most migraine sufferers will experience a migraine more than once, and more often than not they will experience them on a chronic basis. This is why it is extremely important for those who suffer from migraine headaches to understand all of the triggers, warning signs, and symptoms so that relief can be attained. The symptoms of a migraine attack can vary with each individual; however the most commonly known migraine symptoms are as follows:

• An intense throbbing or pounding feeling which is typically located on one side of the forehead
  • Pain can also generate in the back of the head
  • Pain can generate right above one eye
  • The pain is often described as unilateral meaning the pain is typically felt or experienced on only one side of the head. However, studies 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 that is 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 an individual does experience frequent migraine attacks on the same side of the head they should speak with their doctor immediately as this could imply a more serious condition.
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Paleness
  • Coldness in the hands and feet
  • Sensitivity to light and sound

Knowing these common symptoms of migraine headaches can aid in migraine treatment. In fact migraines often start to reveal signs several hours to even days before the attack take place. If a sufferer of migraine headaches is aware of the symptoms that may occur right before a full blown attack takes place then preventative measures can then be taken in order to lessen the effects.

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