HEALTH: MIGRAINE (HEADACHE) CURE

HEALTH - MIGRAINE HEADACHE (SYMPTOMS) HEADACHES

What is a Migraine Headache?

Migraine headache is a form of vascular headache. Migraine headache is caused by a combination of vasodilatation (enlargement of blood vessels) and the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around the blood vessels. During a migraine attack, the temporal artery enlarges. (The temporal artery is an artery that lies on the outside of the skull just under the skin of the temple.) Enlargement of the temporal artery stretches the nerves that coil around the artery and causes the nerves to release chemicals. The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery. The increasing enlargement of the artery magnifies the pain.

Migraine attacks commonly activate the sympathetic nervous system in the body. The sympathetic nervous system is often thought of as the part of the nervous system that controls primitive responses to stress and pain, the so-called "fight or flight" response. The increased sympathetic nervous activity in the intestine causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Sympathetic activity also delays emptying of the stomach into the small intestine and thereby prevents oral medications from entering the intestine and being absorbed. The impaired absorption of oral medications is a common reason for the ineffectiveness of medications taken to treat migraine headaches. The increased sympathetic activity also decreases the circulation of blood, and this leads to pallor of the skin as well as cold hands and feet. The increased sympathetic activity also contributes to the sensitivity to light and sound sensitivity as well as blurred vision.

A migraine is a common type of headache that may occur with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light. In many people, a throbbing pain is felt only on one side of the head.

Some people who get migraines have warning symptoms, called an aura, before the actual headache begins. An aura is a group of symptoms, usually vision disturbances, that serve as a warning sign that a bad headache is coming. Most people, however, do not have such warning signs.

Migraine afflicts 28 million Americans, with females suffering more frequently (17%) than males (6%). Missed work and lost productivity from migraine create a significant public burden. Nevertheless, migraine still remains largely undertreated and underdiagnosed. Less than half the sufferers are diagnosed by their doctors.

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NATURAL MIGRAINE CURE

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Triggers of a migraine headache

A migraine trigger is any factor that causes a headache in individuals who are prone to develop headaches. Only a small proportion of migraine sufferers, however, clearly can identify triggers. Examples of triggers include stress, sleep disturbances, fasting, hormones, bright or flickering lights, odors, cigarette smoke, alcohol, aged cheeses, chocolate, monosodium glutamate, nitrites, aspartame, and caffeine. For some women, the decline in the blood level of estrogen during the onset of menstruation is a trigger for migraine headaches.

The interval between exposure to a trigger and the onset of headache varies from hours to two days. Exposure to a trigger does not always lead to a headache. Conversely, avoidance of triggers cannot completely prevent headaches. Different migraine sufferers respond to different triggers, and any one trigger will not induce a headache in every person who has migraine headaches.

Sleep and migraine

Disturbances such as sleep deprivation, too much sleep, poor quality of sleep, and frequent awakening at night are associated with both migraine and tension headaches, whereas improved sleep habits have been shown to reduce the frequency of migraine headaches. Sleep also has been reported to shorten the duration of migraine headaches.

Fasting and migraine

Fasting possibly may precipitate migraine headaches by causing the release of stress-related hormones and lowering blood sugar. Therefore, migraine sufferers should avoid prolonged fasting.

Bright lights and migraine

Bright lights and other high intensity visual stimuli can cause headaches in healthy subjects as well as patients with migraine headaches, but migraine patients seem to have a lower than normal threshold for light-induced pain. Sunlight, television, and flashing lights all have been reported to precipitate migraine headaches.

Caffeine and migraine

Caffeine is contained in many food products (cola, tea, chocolates, coffee) and OTC analgesics. Caffeine in low doses can increase alertness and energy, but caffeine in high doses can cause insomnia, irritability, anxiety, and headaches. The over-use of caffeine-containing analgesics causes rebound headaches. Furthermore, individuals who consume high levels of caffeine regularly are more prone to develop withdrawal headaches when caffeine is stopped abruptly.

Chocolate, wine, tyramine, MSG, nitrites, aspartame and migraine

Chocolate has been reported to cause migraine headaches, but scientific studies have not consistently demonstrated an association between chocolate consumption and headaches. Red wine has been shown to cause migraine headaches in some migraine sufferers, but it is not clear whether white wine also will cause migraine headaches. Tyramine (a chemical found in cheese, wine, beer, dry sausage, and sauerkraut) can precipitate migraine headaches, but there is no evidence that consuming a low-tyramine diet can reduce migraine frequency.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) has been reported to cause headaches, facial flushing, sweating, and palpitations when consumed in high doses on an empty stomach. This phenomenon has been called Chinese restaurant syndrome. Nitrates and nitrites (chemicals found in hotdogs, ham, frankfurters, bacon and sausages) have been reported to cause migraine headaches. Aspartame, a sugar-substitute sweetener found in diet drinks and snacks, has been reported to trigger headaches when used in high doses for prolonged periods.

Female hormones and migraine

Some women who suffer from migraine headaches experience more headaches around the time of their menstrual periods. Other women experience migraine headaches only during the menstrual period. The term "menstrual migraine" is used mainly to describe migraines that occur in women who have almost all of their headaches from two days before to one day after their menstrual periods. Declining levels of estrogen at the onset of menses is likely to be the cause of menstrual migraines. Decreasing levels of estrogen also may be the cause of migraine headaches that develop among users of birth control pills during the week that estrogens are not taken.

Health: Symptoms of a Migraine Headache

Migraine is a chronic condition of recurrent attacks. Most (but not all) migraine attacks are associated with headaches. Migraine headache usually is described as an intense, throbbing or pounding pain that involves one temple. (Sometimes the pain can be located in the forehead, around the eye, or the back of the head). The pain usually is unilateral (on one side of the head), although about a third of the time the pain is bilateral. The unilateral headache typically changes sides from one attack to the next. (In fact, unilateral headaches that always occur on the same side should alert the doctor to consider a secondary headache.
A migraine headache usually is aggravated by daily activities like walking upstairs. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, facial pallor, cold hands, cold feet, and sensitivity to light and sound commonly accompany migraine headaches. As a result of this sensitivity to light and sound, migraine sufferers usually prefer to lie in a quiet, dark room during an attack. A typical attack lasts between 4 and 72 hours.

An estimated 40%-60% of migraine attacks are preceded by premonitory (warning) symptoms lasting hours to days. The symptoms may include sleepiness, irritability, fatigue, depression or euphoria, yawning, and cravings for sweet or salty foods. Patients and their family members usually know that when they observe these warning symptoms that a migraine attack is beginning.

An estimated 20% of migraine headaches are associated with an aura. Usually, the aura precedes the headache, although occasionally it may occur simultaneously with the headache. The most common auras are 1) flashing, brightly colored lights in a zigzag pattern (fortification spectra), usually starting in the middle of the visual field and progressing outward and 2) a hole (scotoma) in the visual field, also known as a blind spot.

Some elderly migraine sufferers may experience only the visual aura without the headache. A less common aura consists of pins-and-needles sensations in the hand and the arm on one side or pins-and-needles sensations around the mouth and the nose on the same side. Other auras include auditory (hearing) hallucinations and abnormal tastes and smells.

Vision disturbances, or aura, are considered a "warning sign" that a migraine is coming. The aura occurs in both eyes and may involve any of all of the following:

A temporary blind spot
Blurred vision
Eye pain
Seeing stars or zigzag lines
Tunnel vision

Not every person with migraines has an aura. Those who do usually develop one about 10-15 minutes before the headache. However, it may occur just a few minutes to 24 hours beforehand.

Migraine headache can be dull or severe. The pain may be felt behind the eye or in the back of the head and neck. For many patients, the headache start on the same side each time. The headache usually:

Feel throbbing, pounding, or pulsating
Are worse on one side of the head
Start as a dull ache and gets worse within minutes to hours
Last 4 to 72 hours

Other symptoms that may occur with the headache include:

Chills
Increased urination
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Nausea and vomiting
Numbness, tingling, or weakness
Problems concentrating, trouble finding words
Sensitivity to light or sound
Sweating

Symptoms that may linger even after the migraine has gone away include:

Feeling mentally dull, like your thinking is not clear or sharp
Increased need for sleep
Neck pain

Complicated migraines are migraines that are accompanied by neurological dysfunction. The part of the body that is affected by the dysfunction is determined by the part of the brain that is responsible for the headache. Vertebrobasilar migraines are characterized by dysfunction of the brainstem (the lower part of the brain that is responsible for automatic activities like consciousness and balance). The symptoms of vertebrobasilar migraines include fainting as an aura, vertigo (dizziness in which the environment seems to be spinning) and double vision. Hemiplegic migraines are characterized by paralysis or weakness of one side of the body, mimicking a stroke. The paralysis or weakness is usually temporary, but sometimes it can last for days (effecting the quality of health).

For approximately 24 hours after a migraine attack, the migraine sufferer may feel drained of energy and may experience a low-grade headache along with sensitivity to light and sound. Unfortunately, some sufferers may have recurrences of the headache during this period.

Health: Risk Factors of a Migraine Headache

Many people with migraines have a family history of migraine. If both your parents have migraines, there's a good chance you will too. Even if only one of your parents has migraines, you're still at increased risk of developing migraines.

You also have a relatively higher risk of migraines if you're young and female. In fact, women are three times as likely to have migraines as men are. Headaches tend to affect boys and girls equally during childhood but increase in girls after puberty.

If you're a woman with migraines, you may find that your headaches begin just before or shortly after onset of menstruation. They may also change during pregnancy or menopause. Many women report improvement in their migraines later in pregnancy, but others report that their migraines worsened during the first trimester. If pregnancy or menstruation affects your migraines, your headaches are also likely to worsen if you take birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Health: Diagnosis and Tests of Migraine Headaches

If you have typical migraines or a family history of migraines, your doctor will likely diagnose the condition on the basis of your medical history and a physical exam. But if your headaches are unusual, severe or sudden, your doctor may recommend a variety of tests to rule out other possible causes for your pain.

Computerized tomography (CT)
This imaging procedure uses a series of computer-directed X-rays that provides a cross-sectional view of your brain. This helps doctors diagnose tumors, infections and other possible medical problems that may be causing your headaches.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
MRIs use radio waves and a powerful magnet to produce very detailed cross-sectional views of your brain. MRI scans help doctors diagnose tumors, strokes, aneurysms, neurological diseases and other brain abnormalities. An MRI can also be used to examine the blood vessels that supply the brain.

Spinal tap (lumbar puncture)
If your doctor suspects that an underlying condition, such as meningitis or subarachnoid hemorrhage, is the cause of your headaches, he or she may recommend a spinal tap (lumbar puncture). In this procedure, a thin needle is inserted between two vertebrae in your lower back to extract a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for laboratory analysis. The procedure takes about 30 minutes. You may feel pressure while the fluid is extracted and have a headache afterward because of a drop in CSF pressure.

Health: Conventional Treatments of Migraine Headaches

Treatment is can include non-medication and medication approaches.

Non-medication therapies for migraine

Therapy that does not involve medications can provide symptomatic and preventative therapy. Using ice, biofeedback, and relaxation techniques may be helpful at stopping an attack once it has started. If possible, sleep is the best medicine. Preventing migraine takes motivation for the patient to make some life changes. Patients are educated as to triggering factors that can be avoided. These include smoking cessation, avoiding certain foods especially those high in tyramine (sharp cheeses) or those containing sulphites (wines) or nitrates (nuts, pressed meats). Generally, leading a healthy life style with good nutrition, adequate water intake, sufficient sleep and exercise may be useful. Acupuncturehas been suggested to be a useful non-medication therapy.

Medication therapies for migraine

Individuals with occasional mild migraine headaches that do not interfere with daily activities usually medicate themselves with over-the-counter (OTC, non-prescription) pain relievers (analgesics). Many OTC analgesics are available. OTC analgesics have been shown to be safe and effective for short-term relief of headache (as well as muscle aches, pains, menstrual cramps , and fever) when used according to the instructions on their labels.

A good way to identify triggers is to keep a headache diary. Write down:

When your headaches occur
How severe they are
What you've eaten
How much sleep you had
Other symptoms
Other possible factors (women should note where they are in their menstrual cycle)

For example, the diary may reveal that your headaches tend to occur more often on days when you wake up earlier than usual. Changing your sleep schedule may result in fewer migraine attacks (achieving quality of health).

When you do get migraine symptoms, try to treat them right away. The headache may be less severe. When migraine symptoms begin:

Drink water to avoid dehydration, especially if you have vomited
Rest in a quiet, darkened room
Place a cool cloth on your head

Many different medications are available for people with migraines. Medicines are used to:

Reduce the number of attacks
Stop the migraine once early symptoms occur
Treat the pain and other symptoms

Reducing migraine attacks

If you have frequent migraines, your doctor may prescribe medicine to reduce the number of attacks. Such medicine needs to be taken every day in order to be effective. Such medications may include:

Antidepressants such as amitriptyline
Blood pressure medicines such as betablockers (propanolol) or calcium channel blockers (verapamil)
Seizure medication such as valproic acid and topiramate
Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as venlafaxine

Stopping a migraine attack

Other medicines are taken at the first sign of a migraine attack. Over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin are often helpful, especially when your migraine is mild. (Be aware, however, that overuse or misuse of such pain medications may result in rebound headaches.) If these don't help, ask your doctor about prescription medications.

Your doctor can select from several different types of medications, including:

Triptans -- the most frequently prescribed medicines for stopping migraine attacks -- such as almotriptan (Axert), frovatriptan (Frova), rizatriptan (Maxalt), sumatriptan (Imitrex), and zolmitriptan (Zomig)
Ergots such as dihydroergotamine or ergotamine with caffeine (Cafergot)
Isometheptene (Midrin)

These medications come different forms. Patients who have nausea and vomiting with their migraines may be prescribed a nasal spray or injection instead of pills.

Some migraine medicines narrow your blood vessels and should not be used if you are at risk for heart attacks or have heart disease, unless otherwise instructed by your healthcare provider. Ergots should not be taken if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, because they can cause serious side effects to an unborn baby.

Treating symptoms of a migraine headache

Other medications are primarily given to treat the symptoms of migraine. Used alone or in combinations, these drugs can reduce your pain, nausea, or emotional distress. Medications in this group include:

Nausea medicines such as prochlorperazine
Over-the-counter pain relieves such as acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Sedatives such as butalbital
Narcotic pain relievers such as meperidine
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen

If you wish to consider an alternative, feverfew is a popular herb for migraines. Several studies, but not all, support using feverfew for treating migraines. If you are interested in trying feverfew, make sure your doctor approves. Also, know that herbal remedies sold in drugstores and health food stores are not regulated. Work with a trained herbalist when selecting herbs.

Treatments for menstrual migraine headache

To abort menstrual migraine, take medications after the onset of menstrual migraine. Generally, medications that are effective in aborting non-menstrual migraines are effective at aborting menstrual migraines.

To prevent menstrual migraine, take medications just before the onset of menstruation and continue for the duration of the expected headache. Taking hormones such as estrogens or estrogen related medications also help to prevent migraine.

To reduce the frequency and duration of menstrual migraine, take prophylactic medications (such as beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants) that are normally used on a continuous basis to prevent non-menstrual migraines.

Health: Prevention of Migraine Headaches

Whether or not you take preventive medications, you may benefit from lifestyle changes that can help reduce the number and severity of migraines. One or more of these suggestions may be helpful for you:

Avoid triggers. If certain foods seem to have triggered your headaches in the past, eat something else. If certain scents are a problem, try to avoid them. In general, establish a daily routine with regular sleep patterns and regular meals. In addition, try to control stress.
Exercise regularly. Regular aerobic exercise reduces tension and can help prevent migraines. If your doctor agrees, choose any aerobic exercise you enjoy, including walking, swimming and cycling. Warm up slowly, however, because sudden, intense exercise can cause headaches.
Reduce the effects of estrogen. If you're a woman with migraines and estrogen seems to trigger or make your headaches worse, you may want to avoid or reduce the amount of medications you take that contain estrogen. These medications include birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy. Talk with your doctor about the best alternatives or dosages for you.
Keep a diary. A diary can help you determine what triggers your migraines. Note when your headaches start, how long they last and what, if anything, provides relief. Be sure to record your response to any headache medications you take. Also pay special attention to foods you ate in the 24 hours preceding attacks, any unusual stress, and how you feel and what you're doing when headaches strike. If you're under stress, tell your doctor.
Try muscle relaxation exercises. Progressive muscle relaxation don't require any equipment. You can learn them in classes or at home using books or tapes. Or spend at least a half-hour each day doing something you find relaxing — listening to music, gardening, taking a hot bath or reading.
Get enough sleep, but don't oversleep. The average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

Rest and relax. If possible, rest in a dark, quiet room when you feel a headache coming on. Place an ice pack wrapped in a cloth on the back of your neck and apply gentle pressure to painful areas on your scalp.

Other tips for preventing migraines include:

Avoid smoking

Avoid alcohol

Avoid artificial sweeteners and other known food-related triggers

The quality of health can be achieved by taken both corrective and preventive measures to stop migraine headaches.

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Disclaimer: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner. Therefore any content of this site is strictly intended for educational and informational purpose only. Any access to this site is strictly on a voluntary basis and at the sole discretion of the user. No content of this site is intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, nor constitute the practice of any medical profession or health care provider. The information provided on this site is here to educate visitors on health issues that may affect their lives. Otherwise, always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. And never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.

Sources: NIH News In Health/National Institutes of Health/National Library of Medicine/Dept of Health and Human Services

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HEALTH: MIGRAINE HEADACHE (SYMPTOMS) HEADACHES