Migraine Headaches - Causes And Symptoms
While you may hear your colleague or family member complain about having a migraine headache, do you know what it actually is? It is not just a throbbing pain in the head if that’s what you are thinking. Migraine headaches are different from the normal headache. The pain is usually localized on the sides of your head and can be very painful in some instances. A migraine headache attack usually lasts a few hours. But has been known to last for days.
According to statistics, a good twelve percent of the North American population suffers from migraines. It is not limited to a certain age group, though It is, on average, commonly found between the thirty years age group. It can happen to either gender as well, though, women tend to be more susceptible to it.
Some scientists and doctors have discovered that migraine headaches could be caused by genetic factors. If one’s family has a history of suffering from migraines, then their off springs have a higher probability of having it as well. Although the causes of migraine headaches are varied, it’s symptoms are very clear and straightforward.
They are: throbbing pain on the side of head, possible vomiting, easily disturbed and agitated by bright lights, smell or sound. Sufferers are also known to see bright spots in their field of vision just before a migraine attack.
Other less obvious symptoms can be tiredness, feeling dizzy or a feeling of being cold or hot for no reason. Frequency of such attacks is about once or twice a month.
Further research has shown that these people who suffer from migraine headaches are prone to certain triggers. By triggers it can be something in their surroundings of the type of food they eat. Examples of food triggers can be MSG, fattening food, caffine, etc. This is due to the body’s inability to process these ingredients.
Factors caused by surroundings can be a change in the weather, strange odor smells, etc. One may reduce the frequency of their migraine headaches if they can recognize their own trigger and avoid it where possible.
If you do suffer from persistent and painful migraine headaches, then it is advisable to seek treatment from a professional doctor. He or she may provide medications to help reduce the pain.
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What Are Migraine Headaches?
In this day and age, everyday stress at work and home has made migraine headaches a common occurrence. This often impacts one’s ability to function effectively in the world. With this the medical industry has answered with a large variety of drugs and medicine to counter this pandemic.
In truth, even with advances in medical science, doctors do not seem to be able to determine yet the actual causes of migraine headaches. It is commonly held that this is caused by the amount of serotonin in the brain. A person suffering from migraine headaches often have serotonin levels that are low.
Sometimes, such migraine headaches can have warning signs before it happens. In most situations, the sufferer will very often start to see colors or spots in their line of sight. Other indicators can be the scalp becoming very soft.
Psychologically, the person will have swings in their mood or be more prone to anger or sadness just before migraine headaches start to manifest. Such manifestations can be very painful to the person, but they go away after a short while.
However, if these migraine headaches persist for more than a few days, than it can become a serious problem. This often points to a deeper level of stress and bad habits in the person’s daily routine. If so, certain medications can help to bring some relief to the recurring pain. A few recommendations to prevent migraine headaches include drinking enough water and having enough sleep.
Most importantly, try to reduce stress in your daily life. It is believed to be often one of the biggest and common causes of migraine headache attacks. If and when you suffer from migraine headaches, try to find a dark and quiet place to rest. Then apply a cold towel on the head to help reduce the tension. Gently massage the scalp as well.
Another less known cause of migraine headaches are due to the type of food consumed. Some people are prone to certain ingredients and when they react with the body chemistry, it creates an adverse reaction. A good example can be the food additive MSG. Excessive consumption of certain ingredients like coffee or milk can also cause migraine headache.
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