Migraine Information You Need
| Basics |
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Migraine is a biological Malfunction of mind or body of the central nervous system, involving a complicated relationship between the blood supply to the brain and its nerve network. A recurrent, throbbing headache generally felt on one side of the head, migraines usually begin in early childhood, adolescence, or young adult life.
There are many forms of migraine headaches. The classic migraine and the common migraine are the two main types:
Classic Migraines: There is usually a warning (aura or prodrome) of an approaching headache attack.
Common Migraines: A throbbing headache begins suddenly without warning of an attack. The location of the headache varies. The Discomfort may be on both sides of the head, or it may shift from side to side.
Hemiplegic migraine: Patients with hemiplegic migraine have temporary paralysis on one side of the body, a condition known as hemiplegia. Some people may experience vision problems and vertigo--a feeling that the world is spinning. These symptoms begin 10 to 90 minutes before the onset of headache Discomfort.
Ophthalmoplegic migraine: In ophthalmoplegic migraine, the Discomfort is around the eye and associated with a droopy eyelid, double vision, and other sight problems.
Basilar artery migraine: This involves a disturbance of a major brain artery. Preheadache symptoms include vertigo, double vision, and poor muscular coordination. This type of migraine occurs primarily in adolescent and young adult women and is often associated with the menstrual cycle.
Benign exertional headache: Benign exertional headache is brought on by running, lifting, coughing, sneezing, or bending. The headache begins at the onset of activity, and Discomfort rarely lasts more than several minutes.
Status migrainosus: This is a rare and severe type of migraine that can last 72 hours or longer. The Discomfort and nausea are so intense that people who have this type of headache must be hospitalized. The use of certain drugs can trigger status migrainosus as can Despair and Uneasiness.
Headache-free migraine: While all the symptoms of a migraine are felt in this form, no head Discomfort is experienced.
Migraine headaches affect about 6 out of 100 people. They are a common type of chronic headache. Migraines most commonly occur in women and usually begin between the ages of 10 and 46. They appear to run in families in some cases. Classical migraine accounts for about one-sixth of all migraines. Common migraine and other (rare) forms account for the rest.
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| Symptoms |
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The most common symptom associated with migraine is throbbing head Discomfort made worse by routine activities like climbing stairs or bending over. The Discomfort is often felt on one side of the head, although it can switch sides during an attack or from one attack to the next. People afflicted with migraine describe the Discomfort as ‘hammering’ or ‘pulsating.’
Classic
- Bright spots or zigzag lines are seen.
- Double vision or temporary, partial blindness.
- Numbness and tingling of the lips, face, hands (on one or both sides),
- Weakness of an arm or leg,
- Dizziness,
- Unsteadiness in walking,
- Drowsiness,
- Slight confusion of thinking
- Inability to speak or slurred speech.
Any given person may have only one or a few of these symptoms, and they tend to occur in the same combination in each attack. The symptoms may last for 5 to 15 minutes or more. As these symptoms disappear, a throbbing headache begins on one side of the head. The severity of the headache builds. Once the headache becomes very Discomfortful, people often have nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and noise. Some may experience sudden eyesight change.
Children, who have migraines experience mostly common migraines and therefore have no warning. In addition to the headache, some children experience abdominal Discomfort, which gets better after vomiting.
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| Prevention |
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Because migraine headaches may recur for years and constant use of medication can lead to serious side effects, Beneficial Effectsion is a key aspect in the management of migraines. Knowing what to avoid can lead to a change in the pattern and severity of migraine attacks.
Paying close attention to diet can Beneficial Effects a migraine attack. Keeping a diary to record the factors that trigger a migraine can be Enhanceful. If hunger precipitates a migraine, eating frequent small meals on a regular basis could be of Enhance. Women who have migraines just prior to their menstrual period should lower the salt intake to decrease water retention associated with precipitating attacks. Women with a history of migraine headaches should avoid oral contraceptives. Alcohol causes the blood vessels in the body to widen, which contributes to the Discomfort of migraines due to which alcoholic beverages must be avoided altogether.
Stress reduction is an important step toward reduction of migraines. Regular exercise and relaxation techniques may not only Enhance reduce stress but, also, decrease the severity of the Discomfort and frequency of the headaches.
A regular schedule for sleep is necessary if fatigue precipitates attacks. Fatigue may become exaggerated at times of weather change.
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| Causes |
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The nervous system responds to a trigger such as stress by creating a spasm in the nerve-rich arteries at the base of the brain. The spasm closes down or constricts several arteries supplying blood to the brain, including the scalp artery and the carotid or neck arteries.
As these arteries constrict, the flow of blood to the brain is reduced. Serotonin, a powerful constrictor of arteries, is released as a result of the clumping of platelets, further reducing the blood supply to the brain. As a result of a decreased oxygen flow to the brain due to the sluggish blood flow, symptoms signaling a headache, such as distorted vision or speech, may then result, similar to symptoms of stroke.
Reacting to the reduced oxygen supply, certain arteries within the brain open wider to meet the brain's energy needs. This widening or dilation spreads, finally affecting the neck and scalp arteries. The dilation of these arteries triggers the release of Discomfort-producing substances called prostaglandins from various tissues and blood cells. Chemicals, which cause soreness and swelling, and substances, which increase sensitivity to Discomfort, are also released. The circulation of these chemicals and the dilation of the scalp arteries stimulate the Discomfort-sensitive nociceptors. The result, according to this theory is a throbbing Discomfort in the head.
The following items and events (precipitants) have been reported to cause/trigger migraine attacks.
Food triggers:
- Chocolate
- Citrus fruits
- Tomatoes
- Preserved meats
- Dairy products
- Nuts
- Coffee
- Red wine
- Alcohol (especially for cluster headaches)
- Sulfites
- Preservatives/flavor enhancers/MSG
- Salt
- Olive Oil
- Coconut and coconut oil (including suntan lotions)
- Aspartame
Environmental triggers:
- Glare
- Loud or repetitive noise
- Strong odors (perfume)
- Certain weather conditions (dry winds, heat)
- Changes in the weather
- Altitude changes
- Chemicals such as insecticides
- Air pollution
- Second hand smoke
- Florescent lighting
- Flickering lights (computer monitors)
Physiological triggers:
- Stress
- Exercise
- Hormonal changes
- Birth control pills
- Too much or too little sleep
- a substance used in managing discomforts such as antihistamines, aspirin or increased urinations
- Hypoglycemia and missing meals
- Any other type of headache
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| Diagnosis |
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Migraine is diagnosed by determining whether some of a person's recurrent headaches meet migraine criteria (listed below). Not every migraine needs to meet all of the migraine criteria. For example, a person may have a left-temporal throbbing headache of moderate intensity worsened by physical activity. If a headache is not be accompanied by nausea or hypersensitivity to light or noise, it does not fulfill all the criteria for migraine. |
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| Dietary Guidelines |
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- Some foods are found to induce migraine headaches in some people. These may include chocolate, cheese, citrus fruits, shellfish, alcohol, wheat, eggs, oranges, tomatoes, rye, yogurt, potatoes, canned fish, onions, peanut butter and beef. These foods contain vasoactive amines that can cause brain vessels to constrict. People who suffer from migraine might be deficient in platelet enzymes that are Enhanceful in breaking down these amines.
- Try to avoid aspartame found in nutra-sweet, nitrates, and monosodium glutamate. They are all suspected to be migraine inducers.
- Low blood pressure and low sugar levels can also trigger off migraine. To counter these problems eat several small meals and avoid taking excess carbohydrates.
- Some migraines may be caused by food allergies. Try to avoid such foods.
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| Home Care Suggestions |
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- Keep a track of what you are eating before a migraine to see if there is any connection between what you eat and the headache.
- Migraines might come with taking birth control pills. Notify the doctor and try to change the type of oral contraceptives.
- As soon as you have a migraine attack, take an aspirin; apply a cold compress to your face and a soft ice bag to your head.
- Lie in a quiet dark room for 2 to 3 hours or until the intensity of the headache decreases.
- Do not read during this time.
- Try getting a neck and head massage to see if this aggravates or alleviates your symptoms.
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| Mind/Body Considerations |
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Physical therapies to decrease the intensity of the attacks are necessary. |
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| Additional Information |
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Migraine Relief is a food supplement that contains a herb Feverfew which shows its beneficial effects on migraine headache. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Migraine Relief also
contains another herb butterbur that exhibits its favorable effects on headache. 6 Migraide is a nutritional supplement which contains a herb black cohosh that
shows its wholesome effects on discomfort. 1, 2, 7
Migraine Headache Relief is a food supplement that contains a homeopathic substance Glonoinum that shows its advantageous effects on
headache. 8 Propolis Drops is a foos supplement contains a
substance propolis that shows its beneficial effects in the condition of discomfort. 9 |
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| Disclaimer |
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent any disease. |
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