Migraines and How to Deal With Them
A migraine is a severe, often throbbing headache in one half of the head. It is frequently accompanied by gastrointestinal upsets, and a heightened sensitivity to bright lights (photophobia), and noise (phonophobia). The cause of migraine is still unknown, and the condition is poorly understood.
During an attack, which involves changes in chemicals with a drop in the serotonin levels, the blood vessels in the brain dilate and then draw together with stimulation of nerve endings near the affected blood vessels. The pain is probably caused by an imbalance created by these changes.
The signs and symptoms of migraine vary among patients. People of all ages can be affected, however 75% of adult migraine patients are female. As a migraine causes an hormone imbalance, many women suffer during, or right after menstrual period. This hormonal migraine causes a reduction in protein biosynthesis of metabolic components including intestinal tract serotonin.
Typical features of \'common\' migraine attacks are:
(Migraine without aura)
A severe throbbing headache is usually felt on only one side of the head. The headache occurs in bouts of between 4 to 72 hours, and the headaches are made worse by physical activity. There may be vomiting and/or nausea as well as an aversion to lights, sound and smells.
Typical features of \'classical\' migraine attacks are:
(Migraine with aura)
This is similar to the common migraine except it is preceded by warning symptoms (aura) before the headache occurs. Sometimes both sides of the head may be affected in separate attacks. The aura is experienced by around 15% of sufferers and usually presents as a visual disturbance that begins 20 to 60 minutes before the onset of the migraine, but can start up to 48 hours before. In the non-visual aura a tingling sensation may be felt in the body.
Possible causes of an attack
There are many possible causes, each individual case will be different to the next. Bright lights and loud noises, and certain odours or perfumes are the most common. If you are subjected to smoking or the exposure to smoke, this could well trigger an attack as could alcohol or caffeine.
Physical or emotional stress can bring on tension headaches, which will frequently be the precursor of a migraine. A common cause is dehydration, very few of us drink enough water during the day.
Menstrual cycle fluctuations and birth control pills all attribute to the change in hormone levels in women, again this is a very common cause. But another highly likely cause is through the food we eat; foods containing tyramine (red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish), monosodium glutamate (MSG), or nitrates (bacon, hot dogs, and salami) are all to blame as are other foods (chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, avocado, banana, citrus, onions, dairy products, and fermented or pickled foods).
How to deal with migraines
There are several measures that may help in pain relief, or even with the onset of an attack itself:
Prevention is better than cure
By finding the right diet and avoiding foods that may trigger migraines you are on the way to dealing with the hell that is migraine. Incorporate plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and grains into the daily ration, this will decrease your chance of suffering an attack. Do not over-indulge while at the same time try to adhere to eating sensibly at meal times. Also, remember to drink copious quantities of water.
Finding the right medication or treatment for your headaches can help prevent the onset of intense debilitating pain. So with a combination of your preventative methods accompanied by the right medication you can take action and deal with the situation.
During an attack it is possible to take over-the-counter prescribed medications which may temporarily reduce pain, but they will not be effective in curing the cause of migraine. Also, remember that whenever pain-killers or prescribed drugs are taken, there are often serious side effects which may cause dizziness or sleep deprivation as well as fatigue and sexual performance problems.
You must try to eliminate anything that triggers your headaches, then you will noticeably decrease the frequency of migraines.
I have lived with migraines for much of my life, and have learnt how to deal with them effectively. To help fight the pain from migraine attacks you can find more info on \'The Migraine And Headache Program\'
The calming effect comes from visiting beautiful places like this
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