migraine headaches : find out how to prevent or treat migraine headache symptoms

Migraine headaches are one of the top three headaches suffered by people globally, including roughly 26 million Americans annually. About 15 to 20 percent of migraine sufferers experience visual and other disturbances about 15 minutes before the head pain.

Migraines are most prevalent in women ages 30 to 50 years of age, although they can have their first migraine as early as childhood or as a young adult.

Migraine Headache Symptoms:

While there is no medical test currently available to diagnose an oncoming migraine, people who have suffered from migraines often demonstrate the following preliminary symptoms:

• Moderate to severe throbbing pain for four to 72 hours that is frequently on one side of the head (the word migraine comes from the Greek hemicranios, meaning half a head)
• Nausea, with or without vomiting
• Sensitivity to light and sound
• "Aura”, which may include flashing lights, zig-zag lines, bright spots, or loss of part of one's field of vision
• Numbness or tingling in the hand, tongue, or side of the face.

Migraines preceded by an aura are called classic migraines; all others are referred to as common migraines.
Migraines strike some people about two or three times a year and others as frequently as twice a week or more. They appear to have a genetic link. According to the American Council for Headache Education, up to 90 percent of people with migraine have a family history of the condition.
Migraines differ from tension headaches in that the person suffering often has to cease normal activities and lie down in a cool, darkened room with little sound.

Migraine Headache Prevention:

Many scientists think migraine is a vascular disorder caused by a tightening (constriction) and sudden opening (dilation) of the blood vessels in the head, neck or scalp.
Others believe that the throbbing pain of migraine is caused by an abnormal release of neurochemicals in the brain, such as serotonin or noradrenaline.

Migraine sufferers may be born with a hypersensitive nervous system that makes them prone to the headaches. Then, a lifestyle or environmental "trigger," such as a hormonal change or a certain food or chemical, can provoke an attack.

Experts indicate that the best treatment for migraine headaches comes in the form of over-the-counter and prescription medications. Some of these include everything from Excedrin Migraine to Imitrex. Drugs to prevent migraine are sometimes recommended for those whose migraines are especially frequent or debilitating. Two of the many drugs that are tried for migraine prevention are approved by FDA for this use: Inderal (propranolol) and Depakote (divalproex sodium).

A simple change in lifestyle to avoid personal triggers may minimize the frequency of migraines in some patients.
Potential triggers include:

• Alcoholic drinks (especially red wine)
• Foods containing a chemical called "tyramine" (for example, aged cheeses, sour cream, and yogurt)
• Chocolate
• Dairy products
• Foods with additives
• A change in caffeine intake, either up or down, can also trigger migraine.
• Change in sleep habits
• Overuse of headache medicines
• Change in weather (often the approach of a low-pressure weather front) or temperature
• High altitudes
• Bright or fluorescent lights or sunlight
• Loud noises
• Strong odors.
• Heavy stress
• Frustration, anxiety, depression
• Too much excitement
• Relaxation after a very stressful time

Review the potential triggers carefully. Things that trigger a migraine headache in one person might not affect another, even someone else in the same family. For this reason, experts say that keeping a personal "headache diary" may help in determining the best treatment approach. The diary should include:

• Characteristics of each attack, including triggers as well as the date and length of the attack,
• Pre-headache symptoms, level of pain (on a scale of 1 to 4, for example), sensitivities during the headache,
• Medicine taken within 48 hours before the attack started,
• Additional other observations.
Migraine prevention can be as simple as maintaining a more a healthy lifestyle, including:
• Regular sleep patterns
• A healthy diet
• Exercise.
• Relaxation Therapy
• Yoga
• Biofeedback

Migraine headaches, unfortunately, are something that sufferers have to learn to live with. However, there are a variety of ways to prevent and treat migraine headaches once you recognize the symptoms of an oncoming migraine headache.

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