experts articles

One of the most common migraine symptoms is an intense throbbing pain which is generally situated on just one side of the head near to the area of the temple. Migraines are also frequently accompanied by additional symptoms which include sensitivity to noise and light, nausea and occasionally vomiting.

Migraines are quite common and affect about 10% of the population of America, or in excess of 28 million Americans. They are also much more often seen in women than in men (about 3 times as many women suffer from migraines) and can also be found occasionally in children.

Although migraine headaches are so common and frequently very painful with an attack lasting anywhere from a few hours to two or three days, only roughly 50% of all sufferers consult their physician and the remainder choose to suffer in silence.

It had long been thought these headaches were the result of a of dilation of the blood vessels in the head but, in spite of the fact that there is no general agreement, medical opinion appears to be moving away from this theory in favor of a genetic cause for this condition. Current thinking is that the condition are produced by the interaction of brain chemicals such as serotonin with the nerve cells. At present however the truth of the matter is that we are really not sure what cause migraines.

In fact there are two different forms of the condition, the first of which is known as 'classical migraine'and is characterized by an accompanying 'aura'. In this case the term 'aura' refers to visual light effects that are experienced just prior to the start of a headache including such things as flashing lights and bright light spots. In some cases a complete loss of vision may be experienced for several minutes before the start of the headache.

The second type of migraine is simply a migraine without the prior symptoms of an 'aura'.

Just as we do not know what causes a migraine, we also have little idea about just what gives rise to an attack, though there are a number of factors that do seem likely to trigger an attack in sufferers. For instance, too much sleep seems to be one factor and so does missing meals or eating particular types of food like cheese.

Hormonal factors are also thought to influence the onset and severity of attacks and this is evidenced the higher incidence of migraines in women. In part this is thought to be because estrogen affects the blood vessels and some studies have noted that there is a connection between contraceptive pills (containing estrogen) and migraine headaches.

However, just to confuse matters studies have also shown that simple everyday activities like climbing a flight of stairs can trigger an attack, as can exposure to heat or cold, loud noises, flashing lights and sometimes stress.

Fortunately, there are a variety of migraine treatments available today, though no single treatment is really effective in all cases. One thing which we do know though is that over-the-counter medicines are seldom effective and, if you are unlucky enough to suffer from migraines, then you would be best advised to seek the help of your physician in finding a solution that works for you.