What Is Migraine?

Migraine is a severe headache caused by a disorder of the vascular system. It is largely an inherited disorder and in excess of 70% of patients have at least one parent who has the complaint. Please note that the migraine is no ordinary headache. At the onset of an attack the arteries in the scalp stretch and contract and cause an extremely painful, throbbing headache. Along with the headache comes a whole host of other symptoms such as visual disturbances (or scotoma), nausea, vomiting, numbness, trembling, unusual pallor or redness, speech difficulties and mood changes. When migraine occurs in children the headache may be less severe or not present at all. Instead the pain may be felt in the stomach.

Two types of migraine occur and these are 1) ‘classic’ and 2) ‘common’ migraine.

Classic Migraine

This kind of migraine occurs in 15-20% of patients and has two different stages, a stage known as the pre-headache stage and the headache phase. In the pre-headache phase visual disturbances are likely to occur. This is called scotoma and is temporary in nature. The vision may be blurred or exhibit increased sensitivity to light or you may have blind spots, brightly flashing lights or zigzag patterns across the field of vision.

Although alarming, these effects are a normal part of classic migraine and are caused by the high levels of a brain chemical called serotonin experienced during an attack. Blood flow to the brain is temporarily restricted as the blood vessels of the scalp are tightly squeezed.

You may also feel numbness, tingling or weakness on one side of the body and your speech may become slurred or otherwise impaired. You may also feel very cold or very warm. Stage one can from five minutes to an hour, peaking and then receding as the headache phase begins.

The headache stage starts when serotonin levels in the brain drop to very low levels and the blood vessels expand and become larger. The headache may be felt on both sides of the head in children but in adults is usually one-sided and felt around the eyes, over one eye or over one or both temples.

In children the pain may be felt over the eyes, the cheeks, nostrils, ears, jaw and the gums. This phase could last for few hours or even several days and is made worse by moving the head or jerking the body. There may be nausea or vomiting during this stage and aches and pains in the back and limbs or you may feel feverish with chills and heat over the forehead. Diarrhea or constipation may also occur.

Common Migraine

This type of headache is more common and 80% of sufferers will experience this type. Usually only head pain is experienced and there is no pre-headache stage. Generally there are pre-pain signals like being unusually talkative, mood swings or difficulty concentrating. Food cravings are common as is yawning. Remember that in children, throbbing abdominal pain may be felt instead of headache.

After a Migraine Attack

Once the headache starts to abate you will feel tired and drained and may need to pass a large amount or retained urine. Possibly the best thing to do once you are pain free is to sleep for as long as possible. It may take a few days to recover your energy and concentration but after that you will be completely unaffected by your migraine attack.

How to Prevent Migraine

The causes of migraine aren’t completely understood but some theories suggest a link between:

* Specific foods
* Seasonal allergies like hay fever
* Lowered blood glucose levels from skipping meals
* Caffeine as found in cola drinks
* Vigorous exercise
* Lowered air pressure such as that experienced before a storm
* Tiredness or excessive sleep
* Emotional stress

In most cases no cause is ever found but close scrutiny of your lifestyle may uncover any possible causes and help to prevent migraine from occurring. Some of these are discussed below.

Food Triggers for Migraines

Your diet could be causing your migraines. If you regularly eat any of the following and find your migraines are aggravated by them try cutting them out of your diet and see if your attacks recede or become less frequent. Two substances found in common foods are thought to be implicated in migraine attacks. These substances are known as tyramine and beta-phenylethylamine.

* Chocolate in any form-including bars, cakes, sauces, puddings, ice cream and cola soft drinks. Carob flour may be used as a nutritious substitute.

* Cheese and dairy products-especially aged / mature types for example: Stilton, aged Canadian, Cheddar, Brie, and Camembert. It may not be necessary to avoid all cheeses, just the more mature varieties.

* Citrus fruits-such as oranges, lemons, limes grapefruit.

* Nitrites-these are found in foods like hot dogs, bacon, ham, salami or other cured meats. Nitrites cause blood vessels to dilate and may cause an attack.

Keep a food diary and monitor what you have eaten twenty-four to seventy two hours prior to an attack. There may be a pattern between food and your attacks. If this is the case, avoiding the food may prvent migraine from occurring. Don’t avoid all foods that contain these amines, rather do research to ascertain which foods contain high levels of these substances.

Mental and Emotional Stress can Cause Migraines

Stress can be brought on by unhappy experiences but also by excitement or over-activity and joy. During times of stress brain receives warning signals which cause the adrenal glands to secret adrenaline. The body now pumps more blood and oxygen to the muscles and the blood vessels in the stomach and skin contract pump more blood to the brain.

More oxygen is sent to the lungs and the body temperature is raised. The hormone cortisol is released to try to make more energy available. Attacks may not occur during periods of overwork but shortly after, during the transition period to relaxation. This is known as weekend migraine. Try to make the transition between stressful periods and relaxation a gradual one and you may be able to prevent migraine from taking hold.

Sleep Patterns can also cause Migraines

Getting too much or too little sleep can be a migraine trigger. Avoid late nights or sleeping for too long. Again, the chemical serotonin may be the cause as well as changes in the carbon dioxide levels in the blood. Some experts believe the problem is due to a drop in blood glucose levels at night. Keeping a routine sleep/wake cycle may help if you notice a tendency to wake up with an attack. Never sleep in for longer than one hour if this seems to be a problem for you.

Meal Times & Migraines

Make sure you stick to regular meal patterns and don’t go without food for longer than five hours between the main meals of the day and twelve hours between the last meal of the day and breakfast. Try eating a small meal before you retire as this may help to prevent falling blood glucose levels during the night.

Don’t eat foods containing sugar. This causes a further drop in glucose and the body starts to produce extra insulin. Don’t skip breakfast. Eat a simple meal like cereal or toast and fruit juice.

Weather Patterns & Migraines

A drop in barometric pressure, such as before a storm, triggers attacks for some people as do strong winds, very hot and very cold weather and seasonal changes may also cause problems. Bright winter sunlight which is at a low angle is a problem for those who find bright or flashing lights to cause attacks. It is thought that the quick, severe change it the issue, not the weather itself.