What Is a Migraine?

Amigraine is a complicated medical disorder with a list of symptoms that varies from person to person. Despite its prevalence in society, migraine disorder is still largely misunderstood. The first part of this book will explore the medical definition of the condition, considering how and why migraines occur. I will discuss the standard medical interventions that are employed to treat migraines, as well as some alternative natural healing options.

The first part will also explore some of the common triggers for migraines—including food—and explain how they can combine to cross an individual’s threshold, thereby leading to a migraine attack. I will show you that the best way to reduce the frequency and intensity of your migraine episodes is to employ a whole-body approach by taking time to exercise, eat healthily, avoid triggers, and find suitable methods of stress relief.

About 70 percent of people who experience migraines have a family history of the disorder. Migraine frequency is believed to peak between early and middle adulthood and decline substantially thereafter. As many as 10 percent of children under the age of 15 will suffer from migraines, which will more than likely continue into adulthood (Migraine.com).

In this chapter we will define what a migraine is and what it is not, and teach you strategies for tracking your migraine events. If you have been suffering for a long time, you have probably already done your research and likely also sought medical intervention, so the information in this chapter may not be entirely new for you. It is, however, crucial to briefly address how and why migraines occur so that we can attempt to recognize and halt them during the early stages. From there, we will look at the standard treatment methods and then consider the ways food can be used to control your migraines.

A Complex Disorder

Anumber of well-known figures throughout history have suffered from migraines, including Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, and Vincent van Gogh. Emily Dickinson even wrote about her migraine experiences in her poem “I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain.” Whoopi Goldberg, Janet Jackson, Hugh Jackman, Lisa Kudrow, and Serena Williams are contemporary migraineurs. Many of these celebrities have spoken publicly about their condition, and revealed that it has negatively affected their work at times.

It is estimated that as many as half of all migraineurs suffer in silence without seeking medical intervention. Hence, the exact statistic of sufferers is unknown, but it is believed to be somewhere between 12 and 22 percent of the population. According to recent figures from Migraine.com, in the United States, almost five million people experience at least one migraine per month, with more than 37 million people overall reportedly suffering from the disorder.

According to researchers, women are three times more likely than men to suffer from migraines, and about one in four women will experience migraines during their reproductive years (Smitherman et al., 2013). Attacks are closely linked to hormonal fluctuations, which occur during women’s monthly menstrual cycles. This also means that the frequency and severity of women’s attacks can alter during pregnancy and menopause, and can be exacerbated by hormonal contraceptive methods.

What Is a Migraine?

A migraine is a condition brought on by abnormal activity in the brain, usually in the form of excessive firing of nerves. It is most commonly recognized as an extremely painful headache frequently accompanied by nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and heightened sensitivity to light, sound, and smell. This head pain is often pulsating or isolated in one location, usually around one of the temples or behind one of the eyes.

However, it is important to note that migraines do not always involve head pain. Although it is common, migraine is about much more than head pain. Many people experience migraines as dizziness, facial pain and pressure, and/or nasal congestion. These symptoms can also vary over a lifetime.

Migraines can be debilitating, wiping sufferers out for up to 72 hours at a time. There is no normalcy with regard to episode frequency between sufferers: Some people experience a few migraines per year, while others suffer from several each month.

Migraines put a strain on the medical system. Beyond the burden of the migraine itself, they are associated with increased rates of medical and psychiatric comorbidities. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014) indicates that headache is among the top five reasons for emergency department visits and among the top 20 reasons for outpatient medical visits in the United States. About one in four migraineurs reported visiting the emergency room due to severe head pain.

According to data from the American Migraine Study II (Lipton et al., 2001), 73 percent of people experience nausea, and 29 percent vomit during a migraine. Furthermore, those who suffer from migraine-related nausea report more severe pain and greater difficulties obtaining relief via medication.

Most people cannot work or function normally during a migraine attack, with the average sufferer missing two days of work each year. As migraines are more prominent during the most productive working years of one’s life, the disorder takes a clear financial toll. According to the American Headache Society (2015), lost work due to migraines costs the United States more than $13 billion each year. The public health impact of the disorder will continue to be a major problem for society unless something can be done to improve treatment methods.

Let’s take a look at the four common stages of a migraine:

• Prodrome

• Aura

• Attack

• Postdrome

It’s important to note that not everyone will experience each stage: Many simply suffer from the headache itself, while others may only experience the nonheadache symptoms.

Prodrome:

The prodrome phase occurs anywhere between one hour and two days before a migraine strikes, and includes symptoms such as mood changes, constipation, food cravings, neck stiffness, and uncontrollable yawning. While most will feel depressed and irritable, others will feel hyperactive and happy. These symptoms may simply be indicative of other conditions, so migraineurs may have to use their own judgment to determine whether a migraine is on its way.

Aura:

For around one in three migraineurs who suffer from severe head pain, their attacks are sometimes preceded or accompanied by what is known as aura. A symptom of the nervous system, aura includes seeing flashing lights and experiencing tingling in the extremities as well as speech or language difficulties. Each of these symptoms usually lasts for 20 to 60 minutes.

While most migraine sufferers do not experience aura, there is no guarantee that those who do can delay or prevent the onset of a severe headache by the time the aura presents. Oftentimes, auras only act as a warning that the sufferer will soon have to ride out their pain in a dark, quiet room.

Attack:

The migraine itself occurs during the attack stage, the most acute of the stages. A migraine will typically last from 4 to 72 hours if left untreated. While not every sufferer will experience head pain, those who do may feel pain on both sides of the head or, more commonly, just one side—and it may also switch sides. The pain may be pulsating or throbbing. It may cause nausea and/or vomiting, and this is closely tied to an extreme sensitivity to lights, sounds, and smells. Sufferers’ vision may blur (this can also occur as part of the aura stage), and they may feel light-headed, which can even lead to fainting.

The attack stage may also lack the presence of a headache itself but may instead involve nausea, vertigo, ear pain and pressure, sinus pressure and congestion, anxiety, seizures, irritable bowels, or bladder pain. These episodes are diagnosed as migraines, even without head pain.

Postdrome:

Postdrome is the final stage of a migraine, where the sufferer will experience changes in mood and feelings. This stage is often likened to a hangover. Most people will feel fatigued and light-headed during this period; however, others report feelings of euphoria.