There are several types of migraine and symptoms vary from person to person. The most common feature of a migraine attack is a persistent one-sided headache. The headache is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and you may be hypersensitive to light and sound.
Migraine attacks can last between 2 and 72 hours, but there are no symptoms between attacks.
The exact cause of migraine is not known. However, it is believed that the headache develops as a result of swollen blood vessels in the head pulsating, causing the surrounding nerves to feel pain, while visual disturbances are caused by blood vessels to the eyes contracting. The brain chemical serotonin, whose levels drop during a migraine, is also involved.
In women who suffer from migraine, hormone changes may also be involved. In some women, migraine occur a few days before, during, and immediately after a period. About 70% of women who have migraine can relate their migraine headaches to their menstrual period.
About 80% of people who get migraine headaches have a family history of migraine, which suggests that they are, at least in part, inherited.
Migraine triggers
Some people find that their migraines are triggered by something. Triggers might include :
- Certain foods - such as chocolate, cheese, red wine, citrus fruits, coffee, tea
- Too much or too little sleep,
- Changes in hormone balance in women - such as periods, the pill, menopause,
- Stress, or relaxation after a period of stress,
- Irregular meals,
- Caffeine withdrawal,
- Physical activity,
- Smoking,
- Flashing lights,
- Noise,
- Weather -change of season, exposure to sun and glare,
- Exercise - too much or too little,
- Smells - paint, fumes,perfume.
- Unfortunately, avoiding triggers may not prevent migraine, as most migraine are not caused by a single, identifiable trigger but some combination of factors.
SELF HELP - TIPS TO HELP AVOID MIGRAINE
- Eat regularly - missing meals is a well-known cause of migraine, particularly for children.
- Avoid foods which can provoke migraine - chocolate, cheese, alcohol..
- Bear in mind that parties involve a number of trigger factors - rushing, excitement, bright lights, alcohol and noise.
- Late rising at weekends or on holiday can precipitate an attack so try to get up at the same time each day.
- Shopping ,and being out in the hot sun for long hours.
Migraine types
There are two main types of migraine.
Migraine without aura (common migraine)
These affect around three quarters of people who get migraine. The headache comes on quite suddenly, without any warning at all. There are the usual migraine symptoms - headache, sickness, sensitivity to light, but there are no aura symptoms.
Migraine with aura (classic migraine)
This affects about a quarter of all migraine sufferers. People sense when a migraine is coming on. Nervous system symptoms - called an aura - develop before the migraine symptoms.
These may include:
Yawning,
Hunger and thirst,
Visual disturbances - such as seeing flashing lights or zig-zag lines.
Occasionally, the symptoms can be more severe - there may be a tingling around the mouth or in one arm, difficulty in speaking, or weakness in an arm or leg. Aura symptoms usually settle down within an hour.
Homeopathy over the years has been able to greatly help patients suffering with migraine headaches…Once the patient starts on the homeopathic treatment the intensity of the migraine will reduce, the attacks will not happen so frequently as before and over a period of time they will be able to be completely free from attacks of migraine..
