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Exactly What Is A Migraine Headache And What Are Its Symptoms?
One of the most frequent migraine symptoms is an acute throbbing pain which is generally situated on only one side of the head near to the temple. Unlike normal headaches, migraines are also often accompanied by additional symptoms which include sensitivity to light and noise, nausea and sometimes vomiting.
Migraines are fairly common and affect about one in ten people in the United States, or more than 28 million Americans. They are also much more often seen in women than in men (about three times more women suffer from migraine) and can also be found occasionally in children.
Although migraine headaches are so common and generally very painful with attacks lasting anything from a few hours to two or three days, only about half of all sufferers consult their doctor and the rest choose to suffer in silence.
Migraine headaches had long been thought to be were the result of a of dilation of the blood vessels in the head but, even though there is no general agreement, medical opinion appears to be moving away from this theory in favor of a genetic cause for this problem. It is now believed that migraines results from the interaction of certain brain chemicals such as serotonin with the nerve cells. Right now however the truth is that we really do not know what cause a migraine headache.
There are in fact two different forms of migraine, the first of which is called 'classical migraine'and is characterized by an associated 'aura'. In this case 'aura' refers to visual light effects which are experienced immediately prior to the onset of a headache including things like flashing lights and bright light spots. In a few people a total loss of vision may be experienced for several minutes before the onset of the headache.
The second form of the condition is simply a migraine with no 'aura'.
In exactly the same way that we do not know what causes a migraine, so too we have very little idea about exactly what triggers an attack, although there are a variety of factors which do seem likely to trigger an attack. For instance, too much sleep seems to be one factor and so does missing meals or eating particular types of food such as cheese.
Hormonal factors are also believed to influence both the onset and severity of attacks and this is evidenced the increased incidence of migraines among women. This in part is thought to be because estrogen affects the blood vessels and some studies have noted that there is a link between the contraceptive pill (which contains estrogen) and migraine headaches.
Just to confuse matters however studies have also demonstrated that simple everyday activities such as walking up stairs can trigger a migraine attack, as can exposure to loud noises, cold and heat, flashing lights and occasionally stress.
Happily, there are a variety of migraine treatments available, although no single treatment is really effective in all cases. Over-the-counter medications are however seldom effective and, if you are unlucky enough to suffer from migraines, you would be best advised to seek the help of your physician in finding a solution that works for you.
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