Migraines are one of the most common ailments around but few individuals know about them. As a matter of fact, even individuals with a migraine rarely know that they have it, let alone getting them treated properly. And the most important reason behind this is simply a lack of knowledge.
Migraines are primarily periodic headaches caused due to various reasons. At the earliest stages, they are accompanied by mere irregular periods of skull pain. But without proper medical guidance, migraines can increase to severe, excruciating pain which can completely disrupt the normal routine of the sufferer.If you are having headaches which recur often, you may or may not have a migraine. To pinpoint if your headache is a migraine, you need to have an in-depth knowledge about migraines.
There are more than a few things which need to be taken into consideration before trying to understand a disease from the victim's point of view. But the fact is, till date, there is no accurate explanation to what causes a migraine. And all the migraine strategies designed globally are based on trial and error research.These studies conducted on numerous test subjects show a common serotonin imbalance in their bodies, before and after migraine attacks. Serotonin is a vital neurotransmitter for the human brain controlling numerous factors including mood changes and sleep cycles. A drop in serotonin levels affects the trigeminal nerve, known as pain pathway in the human body, which in turn releases chemicals known as neuropeptides. These neuropeptides accumulate in the meninges, the outer covering over a human brain, and cause the throbbing pain characteristic to a migraine.
These are the most common symptoms which you need to be aware of are a moderate to severe pain confined to a single side of the head, throbbing and pulsating pain, inability to concentrate on simple errands and tasks, incapacity of executing regular motor activities, vision and hearing difficulties, nauseous sensations, feeling sick and physically fatigued.
Migraine triggers are external stimuli which may initiate a sporadic attack. You may avoid an attack or minimize the chances of a recurrence by staying away from these migraine triggers: loud noises, bright lights, dietary pattern changes such as skipping meals or fasting, food triggers such as chocolates, red wine, MSG, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, nitrates, and emotional factors including stress, depression, and anxiety.
Having a proper idea on what is a migraine is not enough to prevent it. A migraine is something that does not recede without talking proper medical, therapeutic or habitual measures. If you find a couple of the facts mentioned above match your headache experience, be sure to seek medical assistance immediately. With proper guidance from the doctor and by maintaining a migraine diary to keep track of what you have eaten or experienced before the attacks, you can deal better with your migraine.
Knowing what a migraine is, the symptoms and triggers are necessary to help you have a healthy, happy and migraine-free life.