Just What is Migraine?

An estimated twenty-nine million Americans are afflicted by migraine headaches and that is roughly 10 percent of the population. Migraine headaches trouble women approximately 3 times as much as men and migraines are not confined to adults with a considerable number of children afflicted by them as well. An attack lasts anywhere from a just few hours to three or four days and in the case of longer attacks sufferers often have secondary effects for far longer. Despite the fact that migraines are so common approximately 50% of all victims never see a physician about the condition. One common symptom of a a migraine headache is a sharp throbbing pain to one side of the head which is usually localized close to the temple. It is also frequently accompanied by various other symptoms like nausea and vomiting and sensitivity to noise and light.The exact causes of migraines are not known and, although for many years it was thought they resulted from a dilation of the blood vessels, modern research now tends to favor other explanations. As well, though there is no sound consensus of opinion, many researchers believe that the migraine is a genetic disorder that affects how some brain chemicals like serotonin act upon the nerve cells.The difficulty in solving the mystery of migraines is amplified by the fact that migraine headaches come in two types.The first form is called 'classical migraine' and is coupled with something which professionals call an 'aura'. The aura has nothing to do with spiritual fields around the body but refers to the symptoms sufferers experience before the arrival of a migraine headache. For these migraine sufferers it is normal to experience visual hallucinations like bright spots and flickering lights or even to experience loss of vision immediately prior to the arrival of a migraine headache.When these visual symptoms are absent sufferers suffer from the second class of migraine headaches.Trying to pin down exactly what gives rise to a migraine headache is far from easy although data collected over the years could point to the final answer. For example, individuals who experience a lack of sleep appear to be at greater risk, as are individuals who get too much sleep which has been correlated with a greater incidence. Migraine attacks are also generally linked to eating certain foods such as cheese and to skipping meals.Many researchers also consider that some hormonal factors have a bearing on the start and severity of migraine attacks and one piece of evidence to support this is the much higher incidence of migraines in women than men. In fact, one particular study showed an incidence of 17% in men as opposed to just 6% in men. In addition, studies have also revealed a connection between the contraceptive pill and migraines and we known that Estrogen, which is a major element of birth control pills, affects blood vessels.However the list of factors which trigger a migraine does not end here and several everyday activities like walking up stairs or more intensive physical exertion can trigger an attack, as can stress, exposure to extremes of heat and cold and exposure to loud noises and flickering lights. It has also been noted that migraines arise more frequently with a combination of these triggers present.Luckily, there are a variety of medical treatments available, though none can really be said to be overwhelmingly effective in all cases, and writing a diary of when attacks occur will often help you to identify lifestyle changes that may help in curing migraines. Where lifestyle changes alone do not do the trick then there are a number of drugs that your physician can prescribe to help.