Migraine is a throbbing or pulsing pain in one part of the head, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, tingling in arms and legs, and increased sensitivity to light and sound. The migraine headache is always severe, which can last for hours to days. It is three time more common in females than in males.
Symptoms of migraine
The symptoms of migraine vary from person to person. However, some common symptoms are –
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue
- Disturbance of vision
- Feeling cold or sudden sweating
- Sensitivity or irritability at bright lights, odours and sounds
- Throbbing or mild headache on one or both sides of head
Causes of migraine
Much about the cause of migraine is not known, but it is believed that genetic and environmental factors play an important role in causing the problem. Common triggers of migraine includes –
- Foods – Certain foods and fluids such as aged cheeses, aspartame, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol including red wine and beer triggers the migraine.
- Skipping meals – Fasting and skipping meals can increase the risk of migraine.
- Hormonal changes in woman – A woman may suffer from migraine headache due to fluctuations in estrogen hormone.
- Stress – Too much stress can trigger migraine.
- Sensory stimuli –Bright lights and loud sounds can induce migraines. Sometimes pleasant scents and unpleasant odours can also trigger the problem.
- Sleep patterns – Too much sleep or missing sleep may cause migraine in some cases.
- Medications – Certain medications such as oral contraceptives and vasodilators can increase the risk of causing migraine.
Treatments for migraine
Migraine cannot be treated, only the symptoms of migraine can be reduced with medications. To combat the migraine variety of drugs are available. Medications fall in the two categories –
- Pain relieving medications – It is an abortive treatment, in which medicines are taken during the migraine attacks, to ease its symptoms.
- Preventive medications – Such types of medications is taken on daily basis to reduce the severity of migraine.