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.
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.
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