MIGRAINE

Headache is a very common problem. Everybody might experience some kind of headache, which always results from another health condition. These types are "secondary headaches," ranging from a relatively harmless condition like the flu, sinusitis and impairment of vision to a serious condition such as tumour.

Migraines and tension types are "primary headaches," as they are not caused by an underlying health condition such as a tumour. Migraine headache is a recurrent, one-sided headache. Migraine is experienced as throbbing, severe headache associated with nausea and vomiting. Sometimes warning symptoms precedes it. Tension headaches are the most common type and usually characterized by a steady ache rather than the throbbing pain that is typical of migraines. They are mild and moderate, experienced on both sides, lasts for few hours.
What causes migraine?
A rapid widening and narrowing of blood vessel walls in the brain and head cause migraines. The fibres in the blood vessel wall become irritated and cause the pain. Blood vessels in the scalp are often involved in Migraines. Sometimes the throbbing pain of migraine is caused by an abnormal release of neuro chemicals in the brain such as serotonin or noradrenaline. Migraine sufferers might have born with a hypersensitive nervous system that makes them prone to headaches.

There are stimulations from the life-style or the environmental "trigger," such as a hormonal change or certain types of food or chemical can provoke an attack.

Lifestyle Factors
Stress and strain.
Disrupted sleeping patterns.
Fatigue.
Irregular eating habits,Environmental Factors
Bright lights, flickering light sources and fluorescent lighting.
Perfumes, strong odour and fumes from industrial complexes.
Air pollution such as passive smoking and dust.
Travel.
Weather changes.
Dietary Factors.
Alcoholic drinks.
Thyramine foods - aged cheese, sour creams and yogurt.
Dried, smoked fish.
Chocolate.
Citrus fruits.
Onions.
Nuts.
Beans.
Caffeine.

What are the common symptoms?

There are many forms of migraine headaches. The classic migraine and the common migraine are the two main types. Classic Migraine Most of the migraine sufferers experience visual and other disturbances for about 15 minutes before the headache. These symptoms, collectively known as "aura," may include flashing lights, zigzag lines, bright spots, loss of part of one's field of vision, or numbness or tingling in the hand, tongue or side of the face, weakness of an arm or leg, dizziness, unsteadiness in walking, drowsiness, slight confusion in thinking and inability to speak or slurred speech. Any given person may have only one or a few of these symptoms.
As these symptoms disappear, a throbbing headache begins on one side of the head and severity of the headache builds. Once the headache becomes intolerable, people often have nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and noise.

"I felt like being beaten up by a gang! It was nightmarish, when I looked back at it. I don't know if I can live through that again."

These are all the common descriptions from the sufferer.
A throbbing headache begins suddenly without warning of an attack. The location of the headache varies. The pain may be on both sides of the head, or it may shift from one side to another. Nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and noise usually accompany the headache. Children with migraine experience mostly common migraines and, therefore, do not have any warning. In addition to the headache, some children experience abdominal pain, which gets better after vomiting.