Wednesday, May 1, 2013

How can we know headache or a migraine?


A migraine is usually a severe headache felt as a throbbing pain at the front or on one side of the head. The severity of the pain is different from person to person and some people even experience nausea and sensitivity to light.

There are several types of migraines and they are more common in women than in men. A system is in place to give different names to the migraine attacks that involve different symptoms. This helps doctors to diagnose and treat migraine.

The two common forms of migraine are called migraine without aura and migraine with aura. Some people with a migraine experience aura before it even begins. Warning signs may include visual problems such as flickering lights, spots or lines or even a stiff neck. Everyone will experience a migraine differently but there are signs which let you know if you are going to have one rather than a normal headache.

Aura symptoms typically start between 15 minutes and one hour before the headache begins. Some people may experience aura with only a mild headache or no headache at all. Some people will have migraines on a regular basis while others may only have one every few years. Certain foods, as well as stress, can trigger a migraine attack in a person.

Migraine sufferers often complain of a lack of sleep or waking up feeling tired, which can further affect the frequency of the migraine attacks. Migraines are thought to be caused by changes in the chemicals of the brain where levels of serotonin decrease. When serotonin levels are lower, it can cause the blood vessels in your brain to contract causing them to become narrower which produces symptoms of aura. When the vessels widen, it then causes the massive headache.

Migraine pain is usually felt behind the eye, so people will often struggle to work on computers and find that they need to lie down in a dark room to recover. The symptoms accompanying a migraine can last from a few hours up to a few days. Most attacks slowly fade away, but some stop suddenly after the sufferer is sick. There is currently no cure for migraines, however sleep seems to be the best ‘cure’ for many people, who find that even an hour or two can be enough to end an attack. Many children find that sleeping for just a few minutes can stop their attack.

Many people who have migraines find that over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol, can help to reduce their symptoms. However, if you are a regular sufferer you should consult your doctor for prescribed medicine. Painkillers are usually the first treatment for migraine. They tend to be more effective if taken at the first signs of a migraine attack. You may need to try different types or combinations of medicines before you find the most effective ones.

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