A migraine is a complaint that is quite often suffered by other family members, all of which have probably been experiencing them from a young age. Often these attacks can last for days where the victim must seek bed rest; however, if it is treated, they can end in a matter of hours. These attacks also leave the suffer feeling exhausted and might take them a while to recover fully.
The frequency of attacks between sufferers is not consistent with some only having one episode a year. Certain symptoms are common for many sufferers including a problem with bright lights, sometimes even dull light, in addition to flu like chills and lightheadedness. What isn’t understood is why migraines can start at an age as early as ten but normally stop before someone reaches the age of forty; however, by the time someone reaches fifty, attacks almost never occur.
Members of the same family are often cursed with migraine and there is believed to be a hereditary link; whilst genetic factors may be involved, this link has yet to be proved. It is believed that victims have a certain susceptibility in their brains that allows the blood vessels and nerves to become inflamed.
Sufferers may acquire sensitivity to a medical condition that brings about inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves near the brain, resulting to pain. There are three women to each man that suffer with this condition; only one in twelve men will experience an attack in their lives.
Before the migraine attack, some people have a distinct warning called an aura which usually precedes the headache from anywhere between ten to thirty minutes. There are many indications this may happen which will vary between sufferers which can be one or more of the following:
Feeling Sick
Vision is affected
Strange sounds or smell
Problems speaking
Whilst there are many more symptoms, the list above contains those which are most prevalent. However, the condition that’s most common is a migraine without aura where the pain increases in one area of the head; this condition can escalate and is made worse by any movement, loud noises and bright lights which can cause the person to vomit.
Science is still trying to discover the reason for migraines and why some people are more susceptible to the condition than others although one theory has suggested that contracted blood vessels in the brain may be the cause.
Some suggest that it is the rapid expansion after this narrowing that causes the awful headaches; those who are afflicted say the headache is often so intense that it impedes with regular routinely daily activity and may even keep them awake. The range of possible triggers that create an attack is huge; the most common are listed below:
Bad weather
Certain foods
Altitude
Anxiety or panic attacks
Drinks containing caffeine
Strong intense sunlight
Infrequent or irregular eating habits
Stress caused by personal problems
Monitoring and recording the triggers in a diary can help avoid future attacks so it is something that all sufferers must learn to carry out.
Wendy Brausch has her own anxiety symptoms site to discover real life tips on how to handle panic and panic attack symptoms, and offers some useful guidance on how best to deal with it.
