Migraines - The Causes And Relief Of Migraine Headaches

What are migraines, what triggers migraine attacks and how can I get migraine headache pain relief?

More than 29.5 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches with women being about three times more likely to be migraine sufferers than men. Although not common, children can also suffer from migraines.

Despite the fact that this disease affects so many people and its often severe migraine pain can sometimes last for several days, according to the National Headache Foundation, only about fifty percent of sufferers ever seek medical advice and treatment from their doctor.

Perhaps the most common symptom of migraines is an acute, throbbing pain which is often confined to just one side of the head and is normally localized near to the temple. There are however several other migraine symptoms which include such things as sensitivity to light and noise and nausea and vomiting.

The exact causes of migraines remain something of a mystery and despite the fact that it was believed for many years that they resulted from a dilation of the blood vessels, recent research suggests that this may not be the cause of these attacks. Indeed, modern research tends towards the view that this may be a genetic disorder which affects the way in which certain brain chemicals (neurotransmitters such as serotonin) interact with the nerve cells.

Migraines Can Be Divided Into Two Distinct Groups

The complex nature of the condition is increased by the fact that migraines come in two quite different types. The first, which is usually referred to as 'classical migraine', is linked to something which health professionals term an 'aura' which refers to symptoms that patients experience prior to the onset of a migraine. It is common for example for people to have visual hallucinations (typically lasting between 10 and 30 minutes) and to see bright spots and flashing lights or even to suffer loss of vision immediately prior to the onset of their headache. Where a migraine is not preceded by an 'aura' then sufferers are considered to be affected by the second type of migraine headache normally referred to as a 'common migraine'.

Just what brings on migraines is also a complex matter. An attack can for instance be brought on by both a lack of sleep and excess sleep. Attacks are also often linked to diet and, in particular, to skipping meals or to eating certain types of food, such as cheese. Hormonal factors are also thought to influence both the onset of an attack and its severity. In this regard, one explanation for the higher incidence of this condition in women lies in the fact that many women use birth control pills to prevent pregnancy which affect their estrogen levels.

But the list of factors which can trigger a migraine attack is extensive and even simple day to day activities like walking up stairs or other physical exertion can cause an attack. Heat or cold and loud noises or flickering lights are also important factors as are tension, stress and depression. Certain neurological disorders are also believed to play a role, as is smoking.

Common headache treatments such as Paracetamol or Aspirin are generally ineffective for migraines but, happily, there are a number of medications available today which can help, although none of the drugs and medicines in common use today are completely effective in all cases and sometimes simple lifestyle changes combined with some tried and tested home remedies prove to be the best migraine headache relief.

Through our website we will aim to bring you the best information we can gather together of the subject of migraines (as well as on other types of headache such as cluster, sinus and tension-type headaches) and to provide you with the migraine help and support you need.

Note: Migraines and migraine headaches are commonly misspelled and referred to as migranes or migrane headaches.

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