Weaving Through The Information

So much information can be found on the internet regarding medical concerns and ailments, but is the information correct and are you properly informed?

Symptomatic Information

Migraine headaches are often a recurring condition, therefore, it is important that those individuals that suffer from frequent migraine headaches become familiar with the warning signs that a migraine is in the process of developing. By recognizing the warning signs or symptoms commonly related to a migraine, an individual is than able to prepare his or herself emotionally and physically for the onset of intense head pain. Awareness can limit the immobilizing affect that a migraine headache can have and steps to finding migraine relief can be taken. Migraines can last up to seventy two hours and are more common in women than men and if preventative steps are not taken than time away from work and family will be the consequence on top of the obvious pain.

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

Migraine headaches are often spurred by daily activities that though seem small and insignificant can actually increase the onset of a migraine such as walking upstairs for example. Migraine headaches often start revealing signs several hours and even days before attacking in full force. A shocking 40% of most migraines have preemptive signs before striking an individual helpless.

Differentiating

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
• 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. If frequent headaches (not migraines) occur and last longer than a few hours, medical attention might be needed in order to insure that the pain being felt is truly a headache and not something more.

Tags: chronic condition, difficulty sleeping, head pain, living with migraines, migraine attack, Migraines, severe pain, tender spots