How Do You Know If You Have A Migraine And Just What Are Its Symptoms?

One of the commonest migraine symptoms is an acute throbbing pain which is normally located on only one side of the head close to the temple. Unlike normal headaches, migraines are also frequently accompanied by other symptoms which include sensitivity to noise and light, nausea and occasionally vomiting.

Migraines are quite common and affect about one in ten people in America, or more than 28 million Americans. They are also far more commonly experienced by women rather than men (about 3 times more women suffer from migraine) and can also be see sometimes in children.

Despite the fact that migraines are so common and generally very painful with an attack lasting anywhere from a matter of hours to several days, only roughly 50% of all sufferers consult their doctor and the rest elect to suffer in silence.

It had long been thought migraine headaches were the result of a of dilation of the blood vessels in the head but, even though there is no general agreement, medical opinion seems to be changing in favor of a genetic basis for this problem. It is now believed that migraines are produced by the interaction of brain chemicals such as serotonin with the nerve cells. Right now however the truth is that we really do not know what cause a migraine headache.

There are in fact two different forms of migraine, the first of which is referred to as 'classical migraine'and is characterized by an accompanying 'aura'. In this case the term 'aura' is used to refer to visual light effects that are experienced immediately prior to the start of a headache including things like bright light spots and flashing lights. In a few cases a complete loss of vision can be experienced for several minutes before the arrival of the headache.

The second form of the condition is a migraine with no 'aura'.

Just as we do not know what causes a migraine, so too we have little idea about just what gives rise to an attack, though there are a number of factors which do seem likely to trigger an attack. For instance, getting too much sleep appears to be one factor and so does missing meals or eating certain foods such as cheese.

Hormones are also believed 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 it has been noted in some studies that there is a link between the contraceptive pill (which contains estrogen) and migraine headaches.

Just to confuse matters however studies have also demonstrated that simple everyday activities such as walking up stairs can trigger a migraine attack, as can exposure to loud noises, cold and heat, flashing lights and even stress.

Happily, there are various migraine treatments available today, although no single treatment is really effective in all cases. Over-the-counter medications are however rarely effective and, if you suffer from migraines, you would be best advised to seek the help of your physician in finding a solution which works for you.