What Causes Migraine Pain & How To Find Relief

Migraine headaches are defined as severe, pulsating headaches, often associated with autonomic symptoms and typically occurring unilaterally (only affecting one of half of the head). Most migraine headaches usually last anywhere from four to seventy two hours and can include painful symptoms such as blurred vision, dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, as well as sensitivity to light and/or sound. For a person who regularly or chronically is suffering from these severe forms of headaches it is extremely important for them to find a form of migraine relief that work for them on a personal level.

The Behind the Scenes Look at Migraines

There are many behind the scenes events that take place in order to affect how a migraine headache occurs and what kind of migraine relief should be attempted in order to treat it successfully. Some of the behind the scenes dynamics include risk factors, warning signs, as well as triggers.

• Risk Factors – Migraine headaches can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time; however, there are factors that play a role in increasing the risk of some individuals. These factors include family history, age, gender, as well as other medical issues. Family History plays a role because of genetics, research has shown that up to 90 percent of individuals who suffer with migraines have a family history including migraine headaches, and of those who are predisposed to experiencing migraine headaches many of these individuals will be unfortunate enough to suffer from regularly occurring or chronic migraines as well. Age is another factor because studies have shown that during childhood, migraines are less frequent and most individuals who will experience migraine headaches will have had their first attack by age 40. Gender is another commonly known risk factor, as studies show that more migraine suffers tends to be females. The main reason that females are more likely than males to experience migraine headaches is because hormonal changes seem to play a role. The last risk factor that is mentioned is other medical issues. Individuals who have been diagnosed with other medical issues such as depression, anxiety, stroke, epilepsy and high blood pressure are more prone to experiencing migraines than people who have not been diagnosed with any of these specific conditions.

• Warning Signs – The best form migraine relief will come with understanding and knowing the particular warning signs that are commonly associated with a migraine before a full blown attack takes place. Migraine triggers vary within migraine sufferers and especially differ when it comes to males versus females. When migraine sufferers take note of the specific symptoms that often precursor migraine headaches, they may in fact be able to recognize their personal warning signs and be able to stop the migraine before it starts. Some of the common warning signs include Fatigue, Depression, Obsessive Yawning, Food Cravings – particularly those high in sugar or salt, Mood Changes, Irritability, as well as Drowsiness. Being able to identify these warning signs can be the first step in finding migraine relief.

• Triggers – another behind the scenes thing that takes place when it comes to migraine headaches are triggers. Commonly triggers often begin with a specific source (of combination of several) such as physical, environmental, or physiological causes. Just like it is important to understand and know what the personal warning signs are, it is also important for migraine sufferers to understand their own personal triggers as well. The main triggers that seem to set off migraine headaches are usually Sleep (or lack thereof), Hormonal Changes, Lighting, Certain Foods, Caffeine, as well as Stress. Understanding and recognizing when these triggers are occurring can allow for proper steps to be taken in order to achieve migraine relief.

Successful Treatments that provide Migraine Relief

There are so many different options when it comes to migraine relief. While these many different options can at times seem overwhelming, the good news is that the many different options can be tried and explored in order to find the best form of migraine relief that works on a personal level for each individual migraine sufferer. Some of the options for migraine relief can include prescription medications, chiropractic care, occupational therapy, physical therapy, massage therapy, Acupuncture, Biofeedback, as well as the use of supplemental treatments.

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