What Do We Mean By A Migraine Headache And Just What Are Its Symptoms?
One of the most common migraine symptoms is a sharp throbbing pain that is normally situated on one side of the head close to the area of the temple. Migraine headaches are also frequently accompanied by additional symptoms which include sensitivity to noise and light, nausea and sometimes vomiting.
Migraines are quite common and affect about one in ten people in the United States, or more than 28 million Americans. They are also far more often seen in women than in men (about 3 times more women suffer from migraine headaches) and can also be found occasionally in children.
Although migraine headaches are so common and generally very painful with attacks lasting anything from a few hours to several days, only about half of all sufferers ever consult their physician and the remainder elect to suffer in silence.
It had long been thought these headaches resulted from a of dilation of the blood vessels in the head but, despite the fact that there is no general consensus, medical opinion appears to be moving away from this theory in favor of a genetic cause for this condition. It is now believed that migraine headaches are produced by the interaction of certain brain chemicals like serotonin with the nerve cells. At present however the truth of the matter is that we really do not know what cause a migraine headache.
There are in fact two different forms of the condition, the first of which is known as 'classical migraine'and is characterized by an accompanying 'aura'. In this case 'aura' refers to visual light effects which are experienced just prior to the onset of a headache including things like flashing lights and bright light spots. In a few cases a complete loss of vision can be experienced for several minutes before the onset of the headache.
The second form of the condition is a migraine with no 'aura'.
In exactly the same way that we do not really know what causes a migraine, so too we have little idea about exactly what gives rise to an attack, although there are a number of factors that do appear likely to trigger an attack in sufferers. For instance, getting too much sleep seems to be one factor and so does missing meals or eating certain types of food like cheese.
Hormones are also believed to influence the onset of attacks and their severity and one piece of evidence for this is the increased incidence of migraines in women. This in part is thought to be because of the effect of estrogen on the blood vessels and some studies have noted that there is a connection between the contraceptive pill (which contains estrogen) and migraine headaches.
Just to confuse matters however studies have also demonstrated that simple everyday activities like climbing stairs can trigger an attack, as can exposure to loud noises, cold and heat, flashing lights and occasionally stress.
Happily, there are several migraine treatments available today, although no single treatment has proved to be really effective in all cases. Over-the-counter medications are however seldom effective and, if you suffer from migraines, you would be best advised to ask your doctor for help in finding an answer which works for you.