MIGRAINE
Migraines are recurring attacks of moderate to severe pain. The pain is throbbing or pulsing, and is often on one side of the head.
Migraine is three times more common in women than in men. A migraine can be preceded or accompanied by sensory warning signs such as flashes of light, blind spots, tingling in the arms and legs, nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light and sound.
Causes
There is no known cause for migraine, although most people with it are genetically predisposed to migraine. If you are susceptible to migraine there are certain triggers which commonly occur.
Symptoms
Although not all migraines are the same, typical symptoms include:
-
Moderate to severe pain, usually confined to one side of the head during an attack, but can occur on either side of the head
-
The pain is usually a severe, throbbing, pulsing pain
-
Increasing pain during physical activity
-
Inability to perform regular activities due to pain
-
Feeling sick and physically being sick
Prevention
Those individuals who are susceptible to developing migraines will always have some component of risk, but daily use of medications and avoidance of headache triggers are often effective in prevention.
Treatment
The complex nature of migraine means that the treatments available are varied and differ from person to person. There is currently no cure for migraine. Treatment is aimed at preventing a full-blown attack, and alleviating symptoms if they come.
Individuals who experience migraines can play a significant role in managing their headache frequency and severity.
Culled from Staywellworld blog post dated January 17, 2017.
To learn more, click on
https://www.staywellworld.org/post/2017/01/17/migraine-more-than-just-a-headache