What is migraine?
Migraine is a complex condition with a wide variety of symptoms. For many people the main feature is a painful headache. Other symptoms include disturbed vision, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, feeling sick and vomiting. Migraine attacks can be very frightening and may result in you having to lie still for several hours.The symptoms will vary from person to person and individuals may have different symptoms during different attacks. Your attacks may differ in length and frequency. Migraine attacks usually last from 4 to 72 hours and most people are free from symptoms between attacks. Migraine can have an enormous impact on your work, family and social lives.
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Migraine Symptoms
What you should do if you experience migraine symptoms:- Keep track of each migraine attack in a journal. Write down the date and time the pain occurs, what you were doing immediately before the pain started, if anything changed about your normal routine and how long the pain lasts.
- Also write down any migraine symptoms you experience, such as vision change, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity etc.
- Write down what makes your migraine symptoms improve and what makes them worsen.
- Does your migraine journal show a pattern? For example, are there certain foods that trigger migraines? Or do the migraines occur after a certain change in your routine such as increased stress, a sleepless night or after skipping meals?
- Try avoiding any migraine triggers you identified, to see if the migraines go away.
- Find out if anyone in your immediate family is a migraine sufferer, since migraines tend to run in families.
- If the migraines continue, take all of the information you’ve gathered to a doctor who specializes in treating migraines.
The main symptom of a migraine is usually an intense headache on one side of the head.The pain is usually a moderate or severe throbbing sensation that gets worse when you move and prevents you from carrying out normal activities.
In some cases, the pain can occur on both sides of your head and may affect your face or neck.
Other symptoms commonly associated with a migraine include:
- nausea
- vomiting
- increased sensitivity to light and sound – which is why many people with a migraine want to rest in a quiet, dark room
- sweating
- poor concentration,
- feeling very hot or very cold
- abdominal (tummy) pain
- diarrhoea
The symptoms of a migraine usually last between four hours and three days, although you may feel very tired for up to a week afterwards.
- Moderate to severe pain, usually confined to one side of the head, but can occur on either side of the head.
- The pain is usually a severe, throbbing, pulsing pain.
- Increasing pain during physical activity or when straining.
- Inability to perform regular activities due to pain.
- Feeling sick and physically vomiting.
- Increased sensitivity to light and sound, relieved by lying quietly in a darkened room.
- Some people experience other symptoms such as sweating, temperature changes, stomach ache, anddiarrhea.
Unfortunately, scientists have yet to identify a cause. The best way to avoid migraines is to avoid what starts them in the first place. Migraine trigger are unique to each person, and it’s not uncommon for a person to have several migraine triggers. The most common migraine triggers include:
- Salty foods or aged foods, such as cheese and salami, may cause migraine headaches. Highly processed foods can also trigger a migraine.
- People with a history of migraines shouldn’t skip meals or fast, unless it’s done under a doctor’s supervision.
- Alcohol and caffeine may cause these headaches.
- Some artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, can trigger a migraine. The popular preservative monosodium glutamate (MSG) can, as well. Read labels to avoid them.
- Unusually bright lights, loud noises, or strong smells, may set off a migraine headache; flashlights, bright sun, perfume, paint, and cigarette smoke, are all common triggers.
- Hormone shifts are a common migraine trigger for women. Many women report developing migraine headaches right before or even during their period. Others report hormone-induced migraines during pregnancy or menopause. That’s because estrogen levels change during these time and can trigger a migraine episode.
- Medications, such as birth control and hormone replacement therapies, can trigger or worsen a migraine. However, in some cases, these medicines can actually reduce a woman’s migraine headaches.
- Constant mental stress can cause migraines. Home life and work life are two of the most common sources of stress and can damage your mind and body if you can’t control it effectively.
- Extreme exercise, physical exertion, and even sexual activity can trigger migraine headaches.
- If you’re not getting regular, routine sleep, you may experience more migraines. Don’t bother trying to “make up” for lost sleep on the weekends, either. Too much sleep is just as likely to cause a headache as too little.
Different Natural Migraine Remedies
Migraines can be a debilitating disorder. The World Health Organization says severe migraine attacks can be as disabling as quadriplegia. Migraine sufferers seek treatment that can prevent migraine attacks, make them less frequent, stop symptoms once they’ve started or at least make the migraine symptoms less severe.
- Riboflavin / Vitamin B2 for migraines Vitamin B6
- Vitamin D and migraines Vitamin C
- Vitamin E Magnesium for migraines
- Potassium and migraines MigreLief
- Fish Oil and migraines Co Enzyme Q10
- Petadolex for migraines Marijuana and migraines
- Peppermint oil for migraines Flax seed for migraines
- Ginkgo Biloba Teas for migraines
- Feverfew and migraines Valerian for migraines
- Caffeine and migraines Ginger root for migraines
