| There are people who can tell when they are | | | | and vomiting. Other symptoms may include cold |
| about to have migraine. These people usually see | | | | and sweaty hands and/or feet, as well as |
| bright shimmering lights around objects, zigzag | | | | intolerance of unusual odors. |
| lines or wavy images. Others experience | | | | Types of Migraine |
| hallucinations or temporary loss of vision. | | | | Migraine with aura is a neurological phenomenon |
| What is Migraine? | | | | (aura) experienced 10 to 30 minutes prior to the |
| Migraine is a condition described as a very painful | | | | headache. Auras may either be visual or non |
| type of headache, with a throbbing and pulsating | | | | visual. Visual migraines, also called scintillating |
| pain intensified by routine physical activities, | | | | scotomas, are described as bright flashing lights or |
| coughing, straining, or lowering of the head. The | | | | glares at the edges of the field of vision. |
| debilitating pain is so severe that it interferes with | | | | Non-visual auras include motor weakness, speech |
| daily activities. Oftentimes, migraine sufferers end | | | | or language difficulties, vertigo, dizziness, and the |
| up feeling weak and fatigued once the headache | | | | tingling sensation or numbness of the face, |
| is gone. | | | | tongue, or extremeties. Migraine without aura is |
| People with migraine headaches start experiencing | | | | the most common type and may occur on one |
| pain in a specific area on one side of the head. | | | | (unilateral) or both sides (bilateral) of the head. |
| Later on, the pain spreads and builds in intensity | | | | Fatigue or mood changes may occur the day |
| for one to two hours, and then gradually subsides. | | | | prior to the headache. Abdominal migraine is most |
| However, migraine headache can last up to 24 | | | | prevalent in children with a family history of |
| hours long, and in some cases, even for several | | | | migraine. Symptoms include abdominal pain without |
| days. | | | | a gastro-intestinal cause (may last up to 72 |
| Migraine is generally more common in women | | | | hours), nausea, vomiting, and flushing or paleness. |
| than in men and may occur at any age between | | | | Children who have abdominal migraine often |
| 10 to 40, then diminishes at the age of 50. | | | | develop typical migraine as they grow older. |
| Causes of Migraine | | | | Basilar artery migraine is the disruption of the |
| T here is no known causes of migraine, a | | | | basilar artery in the brainstem characterized by |
| condition which may result from a series of | | | | intense headache, vertigo, double vision, slurred |
| reactions in the central nervous system due to | | | | speech, and poor muscle coordination. This is |
| changes in the body or in the environment. | | | | prevalent among the youth. Carotidynia, also |
| Oftentimes, a family history of the disorder | | | | known as lower-half headache or facial migraine, is |
| suggets that migraine sufferers may inherit | | | | described as deep, dull aching and sometimes |
| sensitivity to trigger that impair the blood vessels | | | | piercing pain in the jaw or neck where there is |
| and nerves in the brain, thereby causing pain. | | | | tenderness and swelling over the carotid artery in |
| Triggers | | | | the neck. This is most common in older people |
| Any stimulus that produces a reaction is called a | | | | and may occur several times weekly and last a |
| Trigger. Many things can trigger a migraine attack | | | | few minutes to hours. Headache-free migraine is |
| such as: alcohol (eg. red wine) caffeine (coffee, | | | | having the presence of aura without the |
| chocolate) monosodium glutamate ( MSG usually | | | | headache. This is common to patients with a |
| found in asian foods) nitrates (processed foods, | | | | history of migraine with aura. Ophthalmoplegic |
| hotdogs) environmental factors (weather, altitude, | | | | migraine is characterized by a headache that is |
| time zone changes) exposure to light (brightness, | | | | first felt in the eye area and is accompanied by |
| glare) hormonal changes (in women) hunger lack | | | | vomiting. As the headache intensifies, the eyelid |
| of sleep anxiety stress medications | | | | droops (ptosis) and the nerves responsible for the |
| (over-the-counter and prescription) perfumes | | | | eye movement become paralyzed. Status |
| Signs and Symtoms of Migraine | | | | migraine is a rare type that involves excruciating |
| During migraine attacks, people tend to be very | | | | pain that can last even longer than 72 hours. The |
| sensitive to light (photophobia) and sound | | | | patient may require hospitalization. |
| (phonophobia). There may also be signs of nausea | | | | |