Migraine can now be termed under the category of a disease as more than 28 million Americans suffer from it according to the National Headache Foundation. Women are more prone to migraine as compared to men. In addition, a quarter of women suffering from Migraine get 4 or more attacks a month.

Of all the people suffering from Migraine, 35% gets one or more severe attack in a month while 40% get 1 or less than 1 severe attack in a month. A Migraine lasts from four to three days, but that is not correlated to anything. Sometimes, migraines can last even longer.

Common Causes of Migraine:

Although there are no specific causes for Migraine it does relate itself to changes happening in the brain. The persons having migraines get affected by it through migraine triggers like bright lights, fatigue and the seasonal changes. Earlier it was believed by scientists that migraines are linked to expansion and constriction of the blood vessels on the surface of the brain.

It is now understood through research that Migraines are the result of inherited abnormalities and functions in the areas of brain. The brain generates Migraine; it starts pangs of pain; it ends them when the hyperactive nerve cells have ceased to function at an abnormal rate.

Migraine begins when the hyperactive cells of the brain sends impulses to the blood vessels there by constricting the vessels. The action results in the dilation that is expansion that releases prostaglandins, and inflammatory substances like serotonin and others. This pulsation results in a painful reaction.

Migraine Triggers Include, but are Not Limited to…

Emotional Stress of Some Kind – This is the most common trigger of a Migraine headache, the sufferers of Migraine are mostly the victims of high stressful events. When a person having a migraine comes across a stressful event, the chemicals in the body release the chemicals that help to combat the stress that is called as fight or a flight response in medical terms. These released chemicals cause vascular changes in the brain causing a series of Migraine pain. The Migraine becomes more severe when the emotions such as excitement, worry, and anxiety are repressed due to the dilated blood vessels.

Chemical Substances/ Preservatives in Your Food! – Research states that up to 30% of Migraine cases might be the result of food additives used in luncheon meat, pepperoni and hot dogs. The use of nitrate, aged cheese and alcoholic beverages may cause the triggers. Most of the Chinese food contains MSG i.e., monosodium glutamate that is also a responsible substance for Migraine attacks.

Consumption of Caffeine – Caffeine is such an addictive thing that we barely keep a bar on it. People around the world consume caffeine/ coffee to stay active. They do so, without caring about limitations of caffeine consumption. The excess and even the withdrawal phase itself leads to headache in case of people who are affected by Migraine. The abrupt drop in the level of caffeine leads to sensitivity in the blood vessels and hence if the caffeine is not ingested it causes headache. Caffeine in itself is a medicine to cure acute migraine attacks.

Changes in weather conditions, like blowing of strong winds, storm fronts or changes in barometric pressure can trigger migraine attacks. Other causes relating to Migraine triggers are irregular meals, changes in sleep patterns, and menstrual cycles and fatigue are the leading causes.

Top Known Migraine Conditions are Often the Most Ignored:

Some medical conditions, although caused individually, but also associated with Migraine, are Hypertension, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, stroke, sleeping disorders and Raynaud’s phenomenon. The latter is caused by narrowing of the blood vessels, hence leading to pain and discoloration of the fingers.

Is it Hereditary?

Although not 100% genetically transferred cases are Migraine, but it does have a tendency to be hereditary. The research states that 4 of 5 Migraine people have the family history of Migraines. If either of the parents have family history of Migraines there are 50% of chances to inherit Migraine and it jumps to 75% chances if both the parents have the family history of Migraines.

What are Common Symptoms of Migraine?

The most common symptoms are but not limited to “normal” headaches. But sometimes a person may not be aware as to what is actually affecting him, because a Migraine can occur in varied combinations. Such as: 

• A person may get highly sensitive to the light, strong odors or noise.
• Throbbing headache that starts as a dull ache but slowly gets into a pounding pain. The headaches even increases with the physical activity. Sometimes the pain can shift from one place of the head to another. In some cases, the pain is at the front and it feels that whole head is affected.
• A person may lose his/her appetite with the onset of vomiting, nausea, stomach upset followed by abdominal pain.
• A person with Migraine can also develop a strong sense of being warm or cold. He also sometimes faces with blurred vision, paleness on the skin, fatigue, dizziness and diarrhea. He might catch a bout of fever.

Most of the migraine attacks last for up to 4 hours and in more severe case it can last up to a week’s time. The frequency of Migraines cannot be stated as it keeps varying from a person-to-person. Most commonly a person suffers two to four attacks a month. The mild migraine sufferers can even get just 1 to 2 attacks in a years’ time, while people with severe cases get them every few days.

Migraines for some might be just a word but it is much deeper. There are lots of things to take note of; as some people might not even know they might be suffering from it.

A Migraine can be categorized in TWO categories based on the symptoms:

• The Migraine with Aura known as the classic migraine
• The migraine without Aura known as common migraine

The term Aura, here, means a physiological sign that catches the sufferer’s attention that the Migraine is about to attack him. The migraines with auras are present in about 20% to 30 % of all the sufferers. The aura Migraine occurs one hour before the pain starts and lasts for about 15 minutes to an hour.

The types of visual auras that a person can determine are temporary vision loss, blind spots, bright flashing dots, jagged lines and distorted vision. These types of auras also affect a person’s other senses, they might not be clearly visible to a naked eye and so a person cannot clearly describe the aura. Other auras a person might experience are ringing of the ears, the change in the smell, touch and taste.

There are few rare migraine conditions too and these include the types of neurological auras:

Hemiplegic Migraine – This is a type of temporary paralysis called as Hemiplegia; it causes change in nerve and a person’s senses on one side of the body. The migraine trigger could be dizziness, change in the vision or temporary numbness. The symptom is not associated with a stroke.

The Retinal Migraine – Leads to temporary or a complete loss of the vision in one eye of the sufferer. There could also be a partial vision loss and also a dull ache behind the eye that eventually spreads through the rest of the head.

The Ophthalmologic Migraine causes paralysis in the muscles around the eye and causes severe pain in the eye. This can cause an emergency medical condition; the Migraine is caused by the pressure on the nerves behind the eye also called as aneurysm. The similar symptoms of an ophthalmologic migraine include a double vision, droopy eyelids and vision changes. The good news for this type of Migraine is that it is a very rare condition Migraine.

Status Migrainosus is a very severe type of migraine that lasts for over 72 hours or even longer. The pain in this type is very severe that needs a person to be hospitalized; this migraine is caused due to withdrawal of some medicines or simply allergic reactions to medicines.

The Basilar Artery Migraine causes confusion, balance loss and dizziness. These symptoms appear before the actual pain starts and affect the back portion of the head. The symptoms appear suddenly that makes a person unable to speak properly; he has bouts of vomiting and ringing of the ears. The symptoms of this type of Migraine are strongly related to hormonal changes happening in the person’s body.

Although lots have been said about Migraines, the most common types are without Auras and it affects nearly 80% to 85% of the sufferers. The actual symptoms of the Migraine start many hours before the actual pain. A person experiences symptoms like fatigue, depression and anxiety

Treatment for Migraines Ranges over a Couple of Techniques:

Although there is no cure for Migraines and no medicine can completely wipe-off the Migraine’s stains from your life. There are certain drugs, which can limit the pain or taking preventive steps before the actual trigger starts like avoiding red wine or sleeping very little. Some people have been even successful in avoiding the frequency of the attacks of the pain.

a) Some over the counter drugs are helpful pain relievers and many people get away after taking this kind of drugs. The pain is relieved by the consumption of ibuprofen, acetaminophen and aspirin and the use of caffeine as well. It is really important to be careful while taking these medications as the excess of it may cause dependency or rebound the headache symptoms. It is always advisable though to take the advice of a doctor before the consumption especially if you need to consume at least three times or daily in a week’s time.

b) The Anti-nausea drugs that are strictly prescribed by the doctors relieve the nausea symptom that is just about to start with the Migraine.

c) The abortive medicines are used to abort a Migraine from happening if consumed at the very first stage or a symptom of a Migraine. They are special medications that stop the headache pain and gradually even preventing the symptoms of a Migraine onset. The medicine helps to constrict the blood vessels and getting them back to normal.

d) The preventive medicines are taken on a regular basis as the headache is very severe, and occurs mainly 2 or 3 times in a month’s time. These medicines are usually used when the migraine starts affecting the daily normal routine of a person. The preventive medicine reduces the frequency of the attack. 

e) The Biofeedback is useful for avoiding the Migraine situation. It helps to recognize the stressful situations. Biofeedback helps the person to stop the Migraine attack.

The Prevention against Migraines is always Possible:

The recognition of Migraine triggers is the main criteria to avoid any type of Migraine attacks. The frequency of the Migraine attacks can be reduced by keeping track of headache patterns a sufferer might be facing. Certain foods that are not compatible with a person’s immune system could also trigger attacks.

A person can recall the items eaten before the attack so that he can make the necessary changes to the diet plan. Some relaxation techniques for stress management can help to reduce the extent of Migraine attacks. Women who get attacks around menstruation should take preventive therapy that will help reduce the pain. It is important and necessary for any Migraine sufferer to eat on a regular basis and get good rest. Exercises on a regular basis are also a cure to prevent Migraines.