Understanding Migraine relief and prevention
December 20th 2007 -
Migraine is a condition characterized by severe headache with other physical symptoms. The physicians around agree that in most of the cases this condition is seen in women though men also suffer from migraine. The exact figure of women to men suffering with this condition is very difficult to ascertain even than it is estimated that around 17 per cent of women and 6 per cent of men have experienced migraine at some point in their lives. In case of women, most of them relate it with their physiological hormonal cycle.
Types of Migraine
In most of the cases, the migraine can be categorized on the basis of presence of sensory warning called aura preceding or accompanied with it hence we can say that there are two types of migraine, migraine without aura named common migraine and migraine with aura called classical migraine.
Migraine without Aura (common migraine)
This consists of a severe, throbbing headache, usually located on one side, with abdominal symptoms including loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dislike of food, constipation or diarrhoea. This affects about nine out of 10 sufferers.
Sufferers may also experience sensitivity to smell, light and noise, which leads them to rest in a quiet, darkened room.
Migraine with Aura (classical migraine)
As mentioned earlier, the headache is preceded by visual disturbances such as flashing lights, zig zag lines and blind spots, or tingling limbs. The average length of a migraine attack is 22 hours and sufferers generally feel washed out for another one to two days afterwards. The average number of attacks per sufferer is 13 per year.
Causes of Migraine
The exact cause of this ailment is still unknown but a good deal of information is available. It is proven that it has got something to do with the chemical changes in the body and blood vessels and nerves are involved in etiology of the Migraine headache.
Apart from this, the known triggers for this condition are given below:
- Hormonal changes in the body
- Excessive sleep
- Fatigue
- Stress
- Certain foods like cheese and alcohol
- Emotional imbalance
- Sensory stimuli like bright lights
- Changes in weather
- Certain medication
Risk Factors
It is established that migraine is so inherited. If both your parents are suffering from migraine, you are prone to migraine. Even if one of your parents is suffering from migraine, you are at a relative risk.
Females who are young are also considered on risk when it comes to migraine.
Treatment
The medication for the Migraine is available and it can be categorized in two
- For pain relief during attack
- For prevention
For pain relief most over the counter drugs like aspirin and paracetamol can work well but in cases where these drugs fail to provide the pain relief, drugs specific for Migraine are prescribed by the practitioners. These include Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Ergots, Triptans, Butalbital combinations and opiates.
For prevention, cardiovascular drugs like beta blockers, anti-depressants, anti-seizure drugs, Cyproheptadine and Botox are prescribed.
Recent advancement
Recently, it is reported that a French team found some clues regarding the causes of migraine headache.
December 27th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
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