Understanding and Preventing a Migraine Attack

by Anne Rivera

A recurrent headache that is disabling is migraine. It causes nausea and light sensitivity as well as sound sensitivity. There is also a type that is related to the hormonal changes brought about my menstruation. The common causes of migraine are caffeine, alcohol, medicines, lack of sleep, and environment.

A migraine headache is one that is throbbing or pulsating, often felt on one side usually accompanied with nausea, vomiting, light-sound-smell sensitivity, sleep disturbance, and depression. Its attack is recurrent and usually as the person ages, the attacks become less severe.

Types

Specialists categorize this condition according to the symptoms. The one with aura, as the name suggests, is characterized by a neurological phenomenon that is felt 10 to 30 minutes prior the headache. The aura can be visual such as bright lights around objects, zigzag lines, wavy images, or hallucinations; or non-visual such as motor weakness, speech or language abnormalities, dizziness, vertigo, or numbness.

The most common type is the one without aura that is experienced on one or both sides of the head. This is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and photophobia; and tiredness and mood changes often occur a day before.

There are less common types—abdominal (in children), basilar artery (in young people), carotidynia (in older people), headache-free (in those with history of with aura), ophthalmoplegic or ocular (involves the drooping of the eyes), and status migrainosus (a rare kind).

There is also a type that is related to hormonal changes and can be experienced by some women just prior to or during menstruation. Some experience it during pregnancy. And others develop it after menopause.

Incidence and Prevalence

In the United States, this condition afflicts about 30 million people and 75% of these sufferers are women. It usually occurs between the age of 10 and 40 and often diminishes by 50 years old. Some feel it several times a month, while others have it rarely.

Causes

Although they say that the cause of these migraines is unknown, studies have shown that there is correlation with family history, which suggests that the sufferers may have inherited the sensitivity to the triggers (or factors that have known to cause the attack). This sensitivity causes inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves around the brain and scalp, eventually causing pain.

Triggers

There are several factors that cause the reaction or onset of the headache. Among these are alcohol, environmental factors, exertion, caffeine, monosodium glutamate (preservative in Chinese food), nitrates (found in processed foods), glare, hormonal changes, hunger, lack of sleep, medications, perfume, and stress.

Treatment

The goals of migraine relief include symptomatic relief and preventing further episodes--that is, reducing the frequency and duration of the headaches. Using one medication or a combination of medications--beta-blockers, anti-seizure drugs, calcium channel blockers, etc.--is often given as prophylactic treatment.

Prevention

Lifestyle change is the main means to prevent an attack of migraine. Stress management techniques should be embraced alongside stress-reducing activities. Creating an environment that is calm and controlling other external factors may help to reduce the number of attacks.