Over thirty million Americans suffer from incapacitating migraines. Swelling of blood vessels around the skull increases blood pressure around the brain and triggers throbbing headaches. The National Headache Foundation indicates that women experience migraines more often than men and the middle aged more often than children or the elderly. The World Health Organization ranks migraines as the 19th ranked disability.
Symptoms
Extreme sensitivity to light and sound are the most common migraine symptoms. Many sufferers describe a powerful unilateral or bilateral headache that interferes with work, social relationships and normal errands. Extreme pain may induce nausea and vomiting. Physical activity often exaggerates pain.
Primary Migraine Types
There are several types of migraines that all have similar symptoms. First, migraines without auras involve intense throbbing that can be unilateral or bilateral. The intense pain can be debilitating and inhibit normal everyday functions, including work. Migraines with auras involve visual or auditory distortions and changes in smell, touch or taste. Blind spots, vision loss, shimmering or wavering lights are possible manifestations of auras. Fortunately, auras usually last only one hour before headache symptoms occur, which may allow the sufferer to start preventative measures to minimize the severity of the coming headache. Rebound migraines result from excessive pain medication. The body becomes increasingly resistant as dosages are increased, producing more frequent and more severe migraines.
Rare Migraine Types
Many extremely severe and rare forms of migraines exist. Seek medical attention immediately if you experience any of these migraine forms, which include ophthalmoplegic, ocular, basilar artery, headache-free, carotidynia and abdominal. Intense eye pain with accompanying eye muscle paralysis characterizes ophthalmoplegic migraines. Retinal or ocular migraines begin with some degree of vision loss in one eye that may spread. Inflammation of the basilar artery located in the brainstem produces speech and vision problems, vertigo and loss of coordination. Children primarily experience basilar artery migraines. Headache-free migraines are simply auras without a headache. Pain in the lower face describes carotidynia migraines and occurs primarily in the elderly. Abdominal migraines are often misdiagnosed. They start with a sense of nausea followed by vomiting before head pain begins.
Prevention
Avoiding classic triggers will diminish or prevent migraine occurrences. Keep a detailed journal of all activity and allergens you came in contact with before the migraine began. The journal will help minimize your exposure to triggers. Wearing polarized sunglasses will minimize the impact of bright or fluorescent lights.
Treatment
Remove any visual, auditory and olfactory stimuli. Avoid excessive stress and anxiety. Soak extremities in warm to hot water to draw blood away from your throbbing head. Consult a physician for a comprehensive treatment plan, which may include anti-epileptic medications, beta-blockers or anti-depressants.
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