More than 29,000,000 million Americans suffer from migraine and that represents roughly 10 percent of the population. Migraine headaches trouble women about three times more often than men and they are not restricted to adults with a substantial number of children afflicted by them as well. A migraine attack lasts anywhere from a few hours to several days and with longer attacks victims commonly have secondary effects for much longer. Although migraines are so common nearly 50% of all sufferers do not bother to see a doctor about the condition.
One frequent symptom of a migraine is a sharp throbbing pain on one side of the head which is usually localized near the temple. It is also commonly accompanied by various other symptoms like nausea and vomiting and sensitivity to light and noise.
The exact causes of migraines are not known and, in spite of the fact that for a long time it was suspected they were the result of a dilation of the blood vessels, present-day research now favors alternative explanations. In addition, despite the fact that there is no general consensus of opinion, a lot of researchers consider that the migraine is a genetic disorder which affects the way in which certain brain chemicals like serotonin act upon the nerve cells.
The complexity in solving the mystery of migraines is increased by the fact that migraine headaches come in two different forms.
The first form is known as 'classical migraine' and is connected with something which professionals call an 'aura'. This has nothing to do with spiritual fields around the body but refers to the symptoms experienced by sufferers prior to the arrival of a headache. For these migraine victims it is common to have visual hallucinations like bright spots and flashing lights or even to suffer loss of vision immediately before the arrival of a headache.
When there are no visual symptoms victims suffer from the second type of headaches.
Seeking to pin down precisely what causes a migraine headache is not simple although data collected over many years may point to the final answer. For instance, individuals who get insufficient sleep can be at greater risk, as are individuals who get too much sleep which has been linked to a greater incidence. Migraine attacks are also often linked to eating specific foods such as cheese and to skipping meals.
Many researchers also believed that a variety of hormonal factors affect the start and severity of attacks and one piece of evidence in support of this is the much higher incidence of migraines among women than men. In fact, one particular study showed an incidence of 17% in men against only 6% in men. Moreover, studies have also shown a connection between the contraceptive pill and migraines and we known that Estrogen, which is a main component of birth control pills, has an effect upon blood vessels.
But the list of trigger factors does not end here and several everyday activities like walking up stairs or more intensive physical activity can trigger an attack, as can stress, exposure to extremes of heat and cold and exposure to flashing lights and loud noises. It has also been noted that migraines arise more often when there is a combination of these trigger factors at work.
Luckily, there are various medical treatments available, though none can really be said to be tremendously effective in all cases, and completing a diary of when attacks occur will often help you to identify lifestyle changes that might help in curing your migraines. Where changes to your lifestyle alone do not do the trick then there are a variety of medications which your doctor can prescribe to help.
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