Understanding Migraines

Ever have one of those really painful headaches? 

Chances are that you’ve had a painful headache sometime in your life; but was it a migraine? Migraines are headaches caused by the rapid widening and narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain and in the head. Receptors in both the head and the brain become irritated and cause pain. Much research has been done to understand what causes migraines and to help you live with them. Here’s some help.

Women are more likely to get migraines than men are. Studies show that 1 out of 5 women and 1 out of 16 men have migraine headaches. They seem to run in families; close to 70% of suffers have other family members with migraines. Migraines usually begin in adolescence and peek somewhere between 25 and 44 years of age.

Experts agree that the following signs or symptoms are indications of a migraine:

• Pain on one side of the head
• Pulsing and throbbing pain
• Moderate to severe intensity of the pain-aggravated with physical activity
• Sensitivity to light or sound
• Nausea or vomiting associated with the pain
• Pain inhibiting or prohibiting usual daily activities
• Knowledge/feeling a migraine coming on.

Migraines can be a combination of these symptoms. A complicated disorder sometimes develops as a result of these symptoms. It is wise to see your physicians if these symptoms are new to you or if they are persistant.

The cause for these attacks is different for everyone. There is a consensus by many migraine suffers that certain things can bring on a migraine. Some of them are

• Certain foods like chocolate, aged cheese, nitrates or preservatives, MSG, nuts or pickled foods, coffee, tea, cola and alcoholic drinks
• Missed meals
• Psychological stress
• Fatigue or irregular sleep
• Weather changes
• Altitude changes when traveling.

Stopping a migraine before it starts is the goal of most suffers. Planning meals excluding the trigger foods or drinks, dealing with stress positively, learning to relax and sleep more efficiently and being aware of surroundings are just some ways of managing migraines. One can also consult their physician about the new medications that are being used to help handle migraines. There are quite a few internet sites and support groups also set up to help one deal with the migraine and its syndrome.

Fore more information, please visit the following organizations:

• National Headache Foundation  1-800-843-7357

• American Council for Headache Education:  1-800-255-ACHE