Welcome to My Migraine
A migraine is a severe type of headache that can occur with side symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, or sensitivity to light. Often many people report a throbbing pain that is felt only on one side of the head. The typical migraine headache is unilateral, affecting one half of the head and pulsating. Often lasting from 4 to 72 hours.
Migraine headache is caused by vasodilatation, enlargement of blood vessels, that causes the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around the large arteries of the brain. Enlargement of these blood vessels stretches the nerves that coil around them and causes the nerves to release chemicals. The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery. The increasing enlargement of the arteries magnifies the pain.
People who get migraines often have a warning symptom, called an aura, before the actual headache begins. The aura is a group of symptoms, usually vision disturbances, that act as warning signs that a migraine is approaching. Many people do not have any warning signs. Physiologically a migraine headache is a neurological condition more common to women than to men. Migraine is three times more common in women than in men. Some people can tell when they are about to have a migraine because they see flashing lights or zigzag lines or they temporarily lose their vision.
Migraines are chronic headaches that can cause significant pain for hours or even days. Symptoms can be so severe that all you can think about is finding a dark, quiet place to lie down. Although there's no cure, medications can help reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. The first migraine and headache drugs recommended by doctors are pain relievers. Over-the-counter migraine pain relievers have been demonstrated to be safe when used as directed.
Many things can trigger a migraine headache. These include
Anxiety
Stress
Lack of food or sleep
Exposure to light
Hormonal changes (in women)