MIGRAINE
Tips, apparatuses, and support for Living and Thriving with Migraine
What Causes Migraine and Chronic Migraine?
Headache is an ongoing neurological condition that influences 39 million individuals in the United
States.
It has an assortment of side effects, most prominently serious migraine torment. However, a headache
the episode is far beyond a terrible cerebral pain. The manifestations shift from one individual to another
however, can include:
- intense headache pain
- nausea
- vomiting
- sensitivity to sounds
- sensitivity to smells
- sensitivity to light
- changes in vision
Headache can be roundabout or ongoing. Assuming that you experience headache torment for 14 days per
a month or less, specialists group the condition as verbose.
Assuming you experience the aggravation 15 days per month or more and have another headache side
effects on the vast majority of nowadays, specialists think of it as persistent headache.
Causes
Headache is somewhat of a secret. While the specific reason is muddled, specialists have recognized a
a couple of contributing variables include:
- genetics
- environmental factors
- levels of serotonin in the body
- electrical activity in the brain
Scientists keep on investigating the likely reasons for headaches.
Triggers
Specialists accept that specific elements can set off a headache episode. The most effective way to
forestall headache episodes is to keep away from their triggers. These can shift from one individual to
another, and the vast majority with headaches have a few triggers.
Regularly, food sources and beverages are involved, including:
- alcohol, especially red wine
- cheese and other dairy products
- chocolate
- coffee
- cured meats
- any foods that have a strong smell
- preservatives and sweeteners, such as aspartame, monosodium glutamate, which are better
- known as MSG, and nitrates, which are often in processed meats
Other normal triggers include:
- Skipping meals. Missing meals altogether or not eating proper meals can lead to a migraine attack.
- Exercise. An intense workout session may trigger a migraine episode, especially if you haven’t been active in a while.
- Dehydration. For some, even the slightest dehydration can bring on a migraine attack.
- Sensory stimulation. Unusually bright lights, loud noises, or strong smells may set off a migraine episode. Flashlights, bright sun, perfume, paint, and cigarette smoke are all common triggers.
- Hormonal changes. Up to 75 percent of women with migraine report that attacks develop around the time of their periods. Others report migraine episodes during pregnancy or menopause. Experts believe that fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone levels during these times can trigger migraine episodes.
- Hormone medications. Birth control and hormone replacement therapy, for example, can also trigger or worsen migraine attacks. But sometimes, these treatments may actually reduce migraine headaches.
- Other medications. Vasodilators, such as nitroglycerin, which are used to treat conditions like high blood pressure or heart failure, can trigger migraine episodes.
- Stress. Stress may be a trigger for almost a 70percent of people with migraine. Emotional stress may stem from demands at work or at home, and physical stress, from overexertion or sexual activity, for example, can also trigger migraine attacks.
- Irregular sleep. Sleeping too much or too little can be triggered. If you don’t have a routine sleep schedule, you may experience more migraine episodes.
- Weather changes. Storms, intense heat waves, and shifts in barometric pressure can trigger migraine episodes.
- Screen time. Many people find that spending a lot of time in front of a computer can bring on migraine attacks.
Risk factors
Not every person presented with triggers creates headaches. The accompanying elements can assist with impacting your gamble of fostering the condition:
- Age. A first migraine episode can happen at any age, but most people with migraine have their first episode during adolescence.
- Family history. If a close family member has a migraine, this increases your risk. In fact, 90 percent of people with the condition have a family history of it. If one parent has a migraine, your risk is about 50 percent. That risk increases to 75 percent if both parents have migraine.
- Sex. During childhood, migraine is more common in males. After puberty, females become three times more likely to have it. The risk of migraine continues to rise in women until age 40 and then starts to decrease.
Treatment options
There are two fundamental kinds of treatment for headaches: intense and preventive therapy.
An individual takes intense therapy during a headache episode to mitigate the indications and prevent them from deteriorating. Choices incorporate over-the-counter pain killers, physician-endorsed prescriptions, and gadgets. Large numbers of these gadgets give excitement that influences the mind's electrical flagging.
Preventive treatment expects to diminish the recurrence, seriousness, and span of headache episodes before they start. Choices incorporate meds and strategies, as well as way of life changes and social treatment.
Preventive treatment just works for around 40% of individuals who take it. Whenever it takes care of business, it diminishes the recurrence of headache episodes by something like 50%.
When to see a doctor
On the off chance that you experience headache side effects, make a meeting with a specialist. After they affirm the conclusion, you can cooperate to figure out which triggers to stay away from and which treatment choices to attempt.