What Characterizes A Migraine And Just What Are Its Symptoms?
One of the most common migraine symptoms is an intense throbbing pain which is usually situated on just one side of the head near to the area of the temple. Unlike normal headaches, migraines are also often accompanied by other symptoms that can include sensitivity to light and noise, queasiness and occasionally vomiting.
Migraines are fairly common and affect about 10% of the population of America, or over 28 million Americans. They are also far more commonly seen in women than in men (about three times as many women suffer from migraines) and can also be found sometimes in children.
Despite the fact that migraines are so common and frequently very painful with attacks lasting anything from a few hours to several days, only roughly 50% of all sufferers consult their doctor and the rest elect to suffer in silence.
These headaches had long been thought to be were caused by a of dilation of the blood vessels in the head but, despite the fact that there is no general agreement, medical opinion seems to be moving away from this theory in favor of a genetic cause for this condition. Current thinking is that the condition results from 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.
In fact there are two types of migraine, the first of which is referred to as 'classical migraine', which is characterized by an accompanying 'aura'. In this case the term 'aura' refers to visual light effects which are experienced just before the arrival of a headache including such things as bright light spots and flashing lights. In a few people a complete loss of vision can be experienced for a few minutes before the arrival of the headache.
The second type of migraine is a migraine with no 'aura'.
In exactly the same way that we do not really know what causes a migraine headache, so too we have little idea about just what gives rise to an attack, although there are a number of factors that do appear likely to trigger an attack. For instance, too much sleep seems to be one factor and so does skipping meals or eating certain foods like cheese.
Hormonal factors are also believed to influence both the onset and severity of attacks and this is evidenced the higher incidence of migraines among women. This in part is thought to be because estrogen affects the blood vessels and it has been noted in some studies that there is a connection between the contraceptive pill (containing estrogen) and migraine headaches.
However, just to confuse matters studies have also shown that everyday activities like climbing stairs can trigger a migraine attack, as can exposure to loud noises, cold and heat, flashing lights and even stress.
Fortunately, there are several migraine treatments available, although no single treatment has proved to be really effective in all cases. One thing which we do know though is that over-the-counter medicines are rarely effective and, if you suffer from migraines, then you would be best advised to seek the help of your physician in finding a solution which works for you.