Migraine

Of the three basic types of headache, the migraine headache is the most painful.  Unlike the other two types, a migraine headache causes nausea and vomiting.  A severe pain can occur on one or both sides of the head, but more commonly around the temples or behind one eye or ear, causing the person to be very sensitive to light and sound.  

The flare-up of a migraine can happen any time of the day, though more frequently in the morning.  They normally last anywhere from a few hours to a day or two.  The migraine sufferer experiences sleeplessness and depression during the headache attack and usually some irritability.   

Approximately thirty million people in the United States are migraine sufferers, with around seventy-five percent of those being women.  Some women's migraines are experienced just prior to or during menstruation.  These are called menstrual migraines and could be associated with hormonal changes.  However, these same women do not have any problem with migraines during pregnancy, while other women develop migraines for the first time during pregnancy.  This makes a good case for thinking migraines could be associated with hormones.  

Migraines usually begin between the ages of ten and forty; then just go away around the age of fifty.  They can be a monthly ordeal for some, with some people struck several times a month.  Then there are those who have only a few throughout their entire life.  

Medical science has not been able to pinpoint the cause or causes of migraines.  It is suspected to be a reaction in the central nervous system caused when the body goes through certain changes.  Migraines appear to be inherited, as there is usually a family history of this illness.  

Things known to trigger a migraine attack are: weather, caffeine, alcohol, lack of sleep, prescription and non-prescription medications and stress.  

Normal functions of a daily routine can mean painful to a migraine sufferer, like standing, walking, bending over and even coughing, straining or lowering the head.  Touching the head can be very painful during the migraine attack and normal tasks usually performed every day like combing the hair, brushing the teeth or shaving can be very uncomfortable for the sufferer.  Usually the daily activity has to be curtailed because the pain is so severe.  Resorting to bed rest is about the best thing one can do during a migraine attack.  After the migraine is gone, it leaves the person tired and weak. 

There is a warning sign for some sufferers to warn of a migraine coming.  Approximately one hour before the migraine hits, they experience problems with vision, such as wavy lines, dots of flashing lights and blind spots.  With others, they experience a tingling in their arm or face and have difficulty speaking.  This pre-migraine condition is called aura and is caused by certain nerve cells reacting to a change in the system. 

It is advisable for a sufferer to keep a record of things that occurred in their life before an attack, as this may help to determine what triggers a migraine.  Such things as diet, sleep, physical activity and even psychological factors could contribute to a migraine attack.  Try to avoid stressful things in your life to help reduce the chances of an attack.  Since each person is an individual, these factors may not affect everyone the same way.  In other words, the events leading up to a migraine attack can differ for each sufferer. 

Diagnosis of a migraine is done by symptom analysis, as there is no test to confirm whether someone is suffering from migraines. 

Treatment includes pain relieve medication such as Excedrin, Advil and other over-the-counter medications.  These two medications contain Ibuprofen, which is an important ingredient in pain relief.  For the more serious sufferer, a narcotic analgesic is prescribed, but due to the chance for dependency, there are also non-analgesic drugs that can be given to the migraine sufferer.  

There are also a few medications that can be given to prevent migraines, but not everyone has good results with these; thus, these medications have to be taken long enough to be able to determine if they are effective to the user.