A migraine is a complaint that is quite often suffered by other family members, all of which have probably been experiencing them from a young age. Often these attacks can last for days where the victim must seek bed rest; however, if it is treated, they can end in a matter of hours. These attacks also leave the suffer feeling exhausted and might take them a while to recover fully.
The frequency of attacks between sufferers is not consistent with some only having one episode a year. Certain symptoms are common for many sufferers including a problem with bright lights, sometimes even dull light, in addition to flu like chills and lightheadedness. What isn’t understood is why migraines can start at an age as early as ten but normally stop before someone reaches the age of forty; however, by the time someone reaches fifty, attacks almost never occur.
Members of the same family are often cursed with migraine and there is believed to be a hereditary link; whilst genetic factors may be involved, this link has yet to be proved. It is believed that victims have a certain susceptibility in their brains that allows the blood vessels and nerves to become inflamed.
Science cannot as yet explain why this condition is more likely to affect women than men but women have a three times greater chance of having the condition than men; one in every 4 women will be a victim of it, whilst only 1 in 12 men will suffer with it at some point in their life.
Some people with the complaint are able to sense when an attack is imminent; this is called migraine with aura. There are many indications this may happen which will vary between sufferers which can be one or more of the following:
Feeling Sick
Problems with vision
Strange sounds or smell
Reduced sensation in sufferers extremities
Other symptoms exist but these appear to be the most common. The most common type of this condition is known as migraine without aura; this condition can escalate and is made worse by any movement, loud noises and bright lights which can cause the person to vomit.
The reasons we get migraines is far from clear and yet to be discovered but one assumption is that the blood vessels in areas of the brain become narrower which may be the explanation for the aura.
If the blood vessels then expand suddenly, this may cause the intense headache; those who are afflicted say the headache is often so intense that it impedes with regular routinely daily activity and may even keep them awake. The range of possible triggers that create an attack is huge; the most common are listed below:
Low pressure weather
Certain types of food
Particular foodstuffs
Traveling in a plane
Certain groups of drink
Very bright internal lighting
Infrequent or irregular eating habits
Any form of stress – either work or home related
It is for a person to keep a check to see if they have a pattern by which they can avoid situations that could lead to an attack.
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