How Can You Recognize A Migraine Headache And Precisely What Are Its Symptoms?
One of the most frequent migraine symptoms is a sharp throbbing pain which is usually located on just one side of the head near to the temple. Migraine headaches are also often accompanied by other symptoms that can include sensitivity to noise and light, nausea and sometimes vomiting.
Migraines are quite common and affect about 10% of the population of the United States, or over 28 million Americans. They are also far more commonly seen in women than in men (about three times as many women suffer from migraine) and can also be found occasionally in children.
Although migraine headaches are so common and generally very painful with an attack lasting anything from a few hours to several days, only about 50% of all sufferers ever consult their physician and the rest elect to suffer in silence.
It had long been thought migraines resulted from a of dilation of the blood vessels in the head but, although there is no general consensus, medical opinion seems to be changing in favor of a genetic cause for this problem. It is now believed that the condition are produced by the interaction of brain chemicals like serotonin with the nerve cells. At this time however the truth of the matter is that we really do not know what cause a migraine headache.
There are in fact two forms of the condition, the first of which is called 'classical migraine'and is characterized by an accompanying 'aura'. Here the term 'aura' is used to refer to visual light effects which are experienced just before the start of a headache including such things as bright light spots and flashing lights. In a few people a total loss of vision may be experienced for a few minutes before the start of the headache.
The second type of migraine is a migraine with no 'aura'.
Just as we do not really know what causes a migraine headache, we also have very little idea about just what triggers an attack, though there are several factors that do seem likely to trigger an attack. For instance, too much sleep seems to be one factor, as does missing meals or eating certain foods like cheese.
Hormonal factors are also believed to influence both the onset of attacks and their severity and this is evidenced the increased incidence of migraines in women. This in part is thought to be because estrogen affects the blood vessels and some studies have noted that there is a link between contraceptive pills (containing estrogen) and migraine headaches.
However, just to confuse matters studies have also shown that everyday activities like climbing stairs can trigger an attack, as can exposure to loud noises, cold and heat, flashing lights and even stress.
Fortunately, there are several migraine treatments available, although no one treatment is really effective in all cases. One thing which we do know though is that over-the-counter medicines are seldom effective and, if you are unlucky enough to suffer from migraine headaches, you would be best advised to ask your doctor for help in finding a solution that works for you.
