Migraines are one of my biggest problems. I have to say that I suffer from them. Yes, I went almost 26 years of my life without getting one. I was one of thoughs people who thought I have had one of these before in my life. Now that I have had a Migraine I now know that what I used to get as a young kid was just a tension headache.
What is a Migraine?
A migraine is a headache that is severe pain felt in the front, back, and sometimes both areas of the head. It mostly can be felt in the front of the head near the eyes or the ears and or temples. A severe migraine can cause nausea, and vomiting. You can become very sensitive to light and sound. Most migraines start in the morning and can last any where from 2 hours to 2 days. More migraines occur in woman then men.
Causes
There are many things that can cause a migraine. To find what triggers your migraines you should keep a migraine diary. Write down what you were doing, what time of day, eating habits, lighting, sounds, everything that could trigger your headaches. Here are a list of triggers.
- Lack of Sleep
- Bright Light or Loud Sounds
- Stress or Anxiety
- Weather Changes
- Chocolate, Alcohol, or Nicotine
- Some Foods, or Food Additives
- MSG
- Hormone Changes before Menstrual Cycle
Types
There are many types of Migraines. Most people have the common, or classic migraine. The Classic Migraine tends to have visual symptoms 10 to 30 before the migraine attack. This is known as "Aura". I always get Aura before my migraines attack me. It isn't a pleasant feeling. It feels alot like being on a boat in really high waves.
Aura
- Blurry lines, flashes of light, or zigzag lines
- Blind spots or even the loses vision for short periods.
Common migraines tend to not have Aura and mostly have nausea, or vomiting.
Treatment
Now I have been told by my doctor that there isn't a cure to the migraine. There are ways to help the pain caused by one. For myself the best treatment is sleep. Sometimes a cool compress for my forehead. I have been given some medicine that has to stay out of the sun light. That medicine didn't help me to much.
- Sleep
- Cool compress
- Doing relaxing exercises
- Eating healthy
- Massage
- Medicines
Here are some websites that will give you more information.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), NIH, HHS
American Council for Headache Education (ACHE)
Migraine Awareness Group: A National Understanding For Migraineurs (MAGNUM)
Please don't forget to look at the links on the side of the page to also find information about migraines.
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