Migraine Headache
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Migraines are not "just a headache" but a complex disease that cancause a painful throbbing, often disabling, pain--usually on one side of thehead. The pain is mostly in the front around the temples or behind one eye orear. Besides pain, you may have nausea and vomiting, and be very sensitive tolight and sound. A migraine can occur any time of the day, though it oftenstarts in the morning. The pain can last a few hours or up to one or two daysand their is no known natural cure.

The cause of migraine headaches (MH) is unknown, but some things aremore common in people who have them.

• Most often, migraine affects people between the ages of 15 and 55.
• Many people have a family history of migraine.
• They are more common in women.
• Migraine often becomes less severe and frequent with age.

Cause of migraine headaches

One theory about the cause of MHs is the blood flow theory, which focuses onblood vessel activity in the brain. Blood vessels either narrow or expand.Narrowing can constrict blood flow, causing problems with sight or dizziness.When the blood vessels expand, they press on nerves nearby, which causes pain.

Another theory focuses on chemical changes in the brain. When chemicals inthe brain that send messages from one cell to another, including the messages toblood vessels to get narrow or expand, are interrupted, and then they can occur.

More recently, genes have been linked to migraine. People who get migrainesmay inherit abnormal genes that control the functions of certain brain cells.And something the person’s body is sensitive to in some way triggers theactual headaches.

Headache triggers can vary from person to person. Most are notcaused by a single factor or event. Your response to triggers can also vary fromheadache to headache. MHs tend to be brought on by:

• lack of food or sleep
• bright light or loud noise
• hormone changes during the menstrual cycle
• stress and anxiety
• weather changes
• chocolate, alcohol, or nicotine
• some foods and food additives, such as MSG or nitrates

To help pinpoint your headache triggers, it may be helpful to keep a headache“diary.” Each time you have a migraine, write down the time of day, point inyour menstrual cycle, where you are at the time, and what you were doing whenthe severe headache started. Talk with your doctor about what sets off yourheadaches to help find the right treatment for you.

Are there different kinds of migraine?

Yes, there are many forms of MH. But, the two forms seen most often areclassic and common migraine.

Classic migraine. With a classic form, a person hasthese visual symptoms (also called an “aura”) 10 to 30 minutes before anattack:

• sees flashing lights or zigzag lines
• has blind spots or loses vision for a short time

The aura can include seeing or hearing strange things. It can even disturbthe senses of smell, taste, or touch. Women have this form of severe headacheless often than men.

Common migraine. With a common form, a person does nothave an aura, but does have the other severe headache symptoms, such as nauseaand vomiting.

How does a migraine headache differ from a tension headache?

While MHs affect millions of people, they are still less common than tensionheadaches. Tension headaches cause a more steady pain over the entire headrather than throbbing pain in one spot. Most of the time, MH attacks happen oncein awhile, but tension headaches can occur as often as every day. While fatigueand stress can bring on both tension and MHs, migraines can be triggered bycertain foods, changes in the body’s hormone levels, and even changes in theweather.

There are also differences in how these two types of headaches respond totreatment with medicines. While some over-the-counter drugs used to treattension headaches sometimes help MHs, the drugs used to treat severe headacheattacksdo not work for tension headaches.

When should I seek help for my headaches?

Nearly half of the people in the United States who have severe headaches donot get diagnosed and treated. The National Headache Foundation suggests youtalk to your doctor about your headaches if:

• you have several headaches per month and each lasts for several hours or days
• your headaches disrupt your home, work, or school life
• you have nausea, vomiting, vision, or other sensory problems

What tests are used to find out if I have migraine?

If you think you get MHs, talk with your doctor.

Before your appointment, write down:

1. how often you have headaches
2. where the pain is
3. how long the headaches last
4. when the headaches happen, such as during your menstrual cycle
5. other symptoms, such as nausea or blind spots
6. any family history

Your doctor may also do an exam and ask more questions about your healthhistory. This could include past head injury, sinus or dental problems, ormedicine use. By just talking with your doctor, you may be able to give enoughinformation to diagnose.

You may get a blood test and other tests if your doctor thinks that somethingelse could be causing your symptoms. Work with your doctor to decide on the besttests for you.

Are women more prone to MH?

Yes, MHs are more common in women. In fact, about three out of four peoplewho have migraines are women. They are most common in women between the ages of35 and 45; this is often a time that women have more job, family, and socialcommitments. Women also tend to report higher levels of pain, longer headachetime, and more symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting.

Hormones may also trigger migraine. Over half of women with MHs report havingthem right before, during, or after their period. Others get them for the firsttime when taking birth control pills. And some women start getting them whenthey enter menopause.

Can stress really cause migraines?

Yes, stress is the most common trigger of headache. Events like gettingmarried, moving to a new home, or having a baby are all sources of stress. Butstudies have found that it is the day-to-day stresses, not these major lifechanges, that are most linked to headaches. Juggling our many roles, such asbeing a mother and wife, having a career, and financial pressures, can be dailystresses for women.

Learning to make time for yourself and finding healthy ways to deal withstress are important. Some things you can do to help prevent or reduce stressinclude:

• eating a healthy diet
• being active (at least 30 minutes most days of the week is best)
• doing relaxation exercises
• getting enough sleep

Also, it may be helpful to pinpoint which factors in your life cause stress.You may find that you can even avoid some of these stresses. And for otherstresses that you can’t control, try to think of things you can do ahead oftime to help you cope with them.

What relieves migraine pain and with what type of treatment?

Even though their is no natural cure, you can work with yourdoctor to come up with a treatment plan that meets your needs. Make sure yourplan has ways to treat the headache symptoms when they happen, as well as waysto help make your headaches less frequent or severe. It may include all or someof these methods.

Lifestyle changes relieves migraine pain. Finding andavoiding things that cause headache is one way to reduce how often attackshappen and how painful they are. Your diet, the amount of stress in your life,and other lifestyle habits may add to getting MHs. Eating a healthful diet,quitting smoking, and reducing your alcohol intake may help improve yourheadaches. Learn stress reduction techniques and find other positive ways tocope with stress. Try to get on a regular sleep pattern.

Conventional medicine relieves migraine pain . There are twoways to approach the treatment of MH with drugs: prevent the attacks, or relievessevere headache symptoms during the attacks. Many people with severe headachesuse both forms of treatment. Some medicines used to help prevent attacks includedrugs that were designed to treat epilepsy and depression. To relieve symptomsduring attacks, your doctor may start by telling you to take over-the-counterdrugs such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatorydrugs) like ibuprofen. If these drugs don’t work to give you relief, yourdoctor can prescribe types of drugs called ergotamines or triptans. Ergotaminesnarrow the blood vessels, which helps the migraine’s throbbing pain. Triptansare new types of drugs that relieves MH pain by both narrowing blood vessels andbalancing the chemicals in the brain. Hormone therapy may help some women whoseMH seem to be linked to their menstrual cycle. Work with your doctor tochoose the best medicine for you.

Natural alternative methods relieves migraine pain.Biofeedback has been shown to help some people. It involves learning to controlhow your body reacts to stress to reduce its effects. Other methods thatrelieves MH pain is acupuncture, relaxation and some MH topical application balms. Counseling can also help if you think your MH maybe related to depression or anxiety. Talk with your doctor about these treatmentmethods.

How to relieve MH pain at home?

Work with your doctor to come up with a home treatment plan to manage yourheadaches. Sometimes, at the onset of a migraine, applying a topical applicationbalm, lying down in a dark room with a cold pack used as a method that relievesMH pain. Stress management techniques, such as relaxation and massage, can helplimit pain. They may also make attacks happen less often. Keep over-the-counterpain killers handy. In your headache diary, make a list of home treatmentmethods that work for you in different situations.

What are some ways I can prevent MHs?

The best way to prevent a MH is to find out what events or lifestyle factors,such as stress or certain foods, set off your headaches. Try to avoid or limitthese triggers as much as you can. Since MHs are more common during stressfultimes, find healthy ways to cope with stress. Talk with your doctor aboutstarting an exercise program or taking a class to learn relaxation skills.

If your doctor has prescribed medicine for you, take them exactly asprescribed. Ask what you should do if you miss a dose and how long should takethe medicine. If you use headache medicines too often or more than what yourdoctor prescribes, the medicines can even start to cause a condition called“rebound headaches.” With this condition, your medicines stop helping yourpain and actually begin to cause headaches. Talk with your doctor if the amountof medicine you are prescribed is not helping your headaches.

How are children affected by MHs?

Like adults, children can have stresses that lead to headaches. MHs, withnausea and vomiting, most often begin in childhood. About half of allschool-aged children have some type of headache. And the frequency of headacheincreases as children go through puberty.

During childhood, boys and girls suffer from MH at about the same rate. Butduring their adolescent years, more girls are affected. Childhood headache canalso be a sign of a more serious problem, such as depression. Parents shouldlook out for other signs as well, like changes in mood or sleep habits.

Keeping a headache diary and doing relaxation exercises, such as deepbreathing, are most often suggested for children. If headaches are linked todepression, your child’s doctor may suggest medicines and counseling. Youshould talk with your child’s doctor before you give your childover-the-counter pain killers. Do not give aspirin to anyone under age 20. Itincreases their risk of Reye’s Syndrome. This is a rare problem in childrenand teens that causes nausea, fever, severe vomiting, and other health problems.Talk with your child’s doctor to find the right treatment for your child.

No matter when your headache occurs, one thing's for sure: You need relief...the faster the better.

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