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What is Migraine?
Migraine is a neurological syndrome which causes altered bodily perceptions such as headaches and nausea. This neurological condition is more common in women as compared to men. Researches in America show that 28 million of the population suffers from migraine attacks. Out of this 17% are women and only 6% male complain about migraine headaches. The typical migraine headache is one sided and pulsating. It can last from 4 to 72 hours whenever triggered.
Common and Classic Migraines
Migraines are analyzed according to the symptoms they breed. There are two forms of migraine attacks; either the patient suffers the attacks without aura or with aura. The migraine attacks without aura are referred to as common migraines and those with aura are known as classic migraines.
Silent Migraine
Silent migraine or migraine without an aura is a type of migraine that does not include a headache. There are other names given to this, such as acephaigic migraine, sans migraine, migraine equivalent, eye migraine, visual migraine, etc. Migraine headache is a vascular headache in which the blood vessels expand and release certain forms of chemicals which together aggravate the pain. This pain is unilateral and is constantly pulsating. Sufferers of migraine headache usually have to face the problem 2-4 times a month. But then this number is not permanent. There are patients who are greeted by attack only once or twice a year. The same is with the time duration of these pains, 4 hours is the time which many doctors are heard saying but this can carry on to a week’s time too.
Symptoms
Only 15% of the migraine sufferers have a warning before the attack is coming onto them. Migraine aura is the term used to describe the symptoms that go along with such migraine attacks. Aura simply means the change in the functions of the brain. These symptoms are usually visual. They include seeing zig zag or flashing lights, blurred vision, numbness in the body as well as pin pinching in certain areas of the body and disruption in odor are felt till the actual headache starts to take place.
Some of the less common migraines include the following:
- Abdominal migraine
- Basilar artery migraine
- Status migrainosus
- Ocular migraine
Causes
The causes of migraine headaches include stress, sleep disturbance, fasting, hormones, bright lights, odors, alcohol, cigarette smoke, chocolates and caffeine. All these factors aggravate the migraine headache but the time period for them to start a headache is not precise. Many triggers can bother the pain to start within hours while others don’t end up causing any pain.
Risk Factors
There are several risk factors which make you more prone to migraine headaches. This can include a family tale of migraine headache. Researches show that if one or both of your parents is a migraine sufferer then there is a good chance for you to carry this disease. Besides genetically carrying migraines, people under 40 also have a very good chance of being affected. Women are mostly the sufferers of migraine attacks. During childhood, headaches tend to affect boys more than girls, but this change when at the age of puberty.
Migraine headache is described as a vibrating or hammering pain that is boosted by the routine physical hustle, straining or lowering of the head. The pain is so oppressive that it intervenes with the daily routine of the patient and might awaken you while sleeping. Migraine sufferers are often left tiered and weak once the pain has passed away.
The migraine headache is usually unilateral, which means it starts in only one side of the head and then it gradually advances and forms its intensity throughout. It lasts up to 24 hours and in some cases, till about a week.
In a migraine attack, the sufferer might feel nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light or sound. Hands and feet start feeling cold and the skin turns pallor due to the decrease in the circulation of blood. In many cases odor maybe intolerable to the patients.
Disclaimer:
The material provided on this site is designed for information and educational purposes only. The materials are not intended to be a self diagnostic and/or self treatment tool. We encourage you to use this information as a tool for discussing migraine with your health practitioner.
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