Many men, women and children suffer from migraine headaches. Women get more migranes headaches than men, according to statistics, due to the hormone estrogen. Children often aren't diagnosed due to symptoms different from adults'. Different triggers can cause a migraine and its many symptoms.
Significance
Migraines are not just headaches. The pain can range from mild to very intense. About 14 million suffer from migraines but are never diagnosed. The pain can be so intense some suffers have to lie down in a dark place and rest until it passes. About 17 percent of women and 7 percent of men have experienced migraines. It is sometimes preceded by a flash of light, tingling in the arms or a blind spot. Sometimes the person's effort to control pain can lead to other serious medical complications.
It is sometimes described as a frequently reoccurring headache with throbbing pain on one side of the head or both.
It is a syndrome or collection of symptoms that arises due to a common cause. It is a real illness like diabetes or asthma. About 12 million people experience attacks on a daily basis.
Function
Attacks last between four and 72 hours when striking. Some of the symptoms are visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound, and tingling or numbness. Another is throbbing pain that interferes with normal activities.
Many causes of migraines are called triggers. Hormonal changes like fluctuations in estrogen seem to trigger the headache. Many women get headaches before or after their periods. Certain food will trigger a migraine like chocolate, alcohol, pickled or marinated food, overuse of caffeine and Asian foods. Stress at work or home can cause migraines. Sensory stimulus like bright lights and unusual smells sometimes cause or trigger a headache. Changes in medications, sleeping patterns and environment all may act as a trigger.
Features
In children the migraine pain is often less intense than in adults. They may have the symptoms of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and vertigo. Sometimes the attacks occur without any head pain, making it hard to diagnose in children. Motion sickness is often an early warning sign in children. The severity of migraines rises with women because of the hormone estrogen. Some people suffer from chronic migraines and get them daily. Depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances are common for those with chronic migraines. Often those with chronic migraines overuse pain medications. It is best to see a doctor when experiencing migraines to find the cause and a treatment.
Considerations
Using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to treat migraines sometimes causes complications. Medications with ibuprofen like Advil and Motrin and aspirin sometime causes abdominal pain, bleeding and ulcers. If you take over-the-counter headache medications more than three times a week you can get rebound headaches. They are caused when the medication stops relieving the pain and actually causes headaches. Also taking migraine medications with other medications can cause some serious side effects. So always consult a doctor when taking prescription drugs with over-the-counter pain killers.
Prevention/Solution
To treat migraines you must consult a doctor, who will give you a physical exam. Computerized tomography is often used to get a computerized X-ray of your brain. This helps check for tumors, infections and other medical causes of migraines. An MRI uses radio waves to get a detailed cross-sectional view of your brain. The test checks for tumors, strokes, neurological diseases and other complications. A spinal tap is done to check for meningitis, if suspected. Once the doctor finds the cause of your migraines there are many prescription medications available to treat the pain or prevent the headaches from occurring. Nontraditional methods of treatment include acupuncture, biofeedback, massage, and herbs, vitamins and minerals
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