Migraine Headaches!

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Headaches

An Introduction To Migraine Headaches

In the United States today about ten percent of the population, or some 28 million Americans, suffer from migraine headaches. They're about three times more common in women as they are in men and are likewise often seen in children and adolescents. In spite of the fact that these frequently debilitating headaches are so common just about half of all sufferers care for themselves and don't seek the advice or help of their doctor.

We don't know precisely what causes migraines although for numerous years it has been thought that they result from a dilation of the blood vessels within the head. While this may well be one part of the cause, today it's believed to be more likely that there is another explanation and a lot of researchers believe that they might be the result of a genetic disorder which affects the way in which certain chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, interact with our nerve cells.

Migraines come in two different forms. The first form is referred to as a classical migraine in which the headache is commonly preceded by an 'aura'. This aura is frequently experienced some 15 to 30 minutes before the arrival of the headache and can include such things as flashing lights, zigzag patterns which flash across your field of view, blind spots which tend to begin small and grow in size, tingling in an arm or leg and coldness of the hands and feet. Once the headache arrives the aura usually disappears and is replaced by sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and occasionally vomiting. The second form of migraine, which is the most common form, occurs without the preceding aura.

Just as we don't actually know what causes a migraine so too are we slightly in the dark about just what can set off an attack. There are however certain things which do seem to make a migraine more likely.

For instance, both a lack of sleep and getting too much sleep both seem to be significant triggers. So too is eating certain types of food such as cheese or skipping meals altogether. Hormones also play a part and are believed to influence not only the onset of an attack but also its severity. This is proved by the fact that more women than men get migraines and by research which has found a link between the contraceptive pill, which contains the hormone estrogen, and migraine headaches.

But potential triggers don't stop there and even simple day-to-day activities such as climbing a flight of steps or other sorts of physical activity can occasionally bring on an attack. And so the list goes on including such things as vulnerability to loud noise or flickering lights or too extreme heat or cold. And, as with many other forms of headache, stress is also an crucial trigger.

Luckily today there is an increasing range of medicine available and while a lot of the traditional treatments have proved less than wholly effective modern drugs do seem to be getting on top of the problem. The secret however when it comes to migraine headaches is not simply to suffer in silence but to seek professional treatment advice from your doctor.