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MIGRAINE
WHAT IS MIGRAINE?
Migraine is a neurologic disease, of which the most common symptom is an intense and disabling headache . Attacks are often recurrent and tend to become less severe as the migraine sufferer ages. Migraine is the most common type of vascular headache. Migraine headaches are usually characterized by
 Severe pain on one or both sides of the head
Hypersensitivity to light
Hypersensitivity to sound
Even an upset stomach
Some women experience migraine headaches just prior to or during menstruation. These headaches, which are called menstrual migraines, may be related to hormonal changes and often do not occur during pregnancy. Other women develop migraines for the first time during pregnancy or after menopause. Approximately 75% of migraine sufferers are women.
CAUSES OF MIGRAINE
The cause of migraine is not yet known, although it may result from a series of reactions in the central nervous system caused by changes in the body or in the environment. There seems to be general agreement, however, that a key element is blood flow changes in the brain. People who get migraine headaches appear to have blood vessels that overreact to various triggers There is often a family history of the disorder, suggesting that migraine sufferers may inherit sensitivity to triggers that produce inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves around the brain, causing pain. However Homoeopathy describes migraine in its own way and offers excellent relief if medication is taken as per the doctors advice.
TRIGGERING FACTORS
A trigger is any stimulus which initiates a process or reaction. Commonly identified triggers for migraine include the following
Alcohol (e.g., red wine)
Environmental factors (e.g., weather, altitude, time zone changes)
Foods that contain caffeine (e.g., coffee, chocolate), monosodium glutamate (MSG; found in Chinese food), and nitrates (e.g.,
processed foods, hot dogs)
Missing meals is the most important dietary cause of migraines
Glare
Hormonal changes in women
Hunger
Lack of sleep or sleep disturbances
Medications (over-the-counter and prescription)
Perfume
Stress
Individual trigger factors may vary and hence Migraine patients are advised to try to identify personal headache triggers by looking for associations between their headaches and various suspected trigger factors. Patients are urged to keep a “headache diary” in which to note what they eat and when they get a headache, to look for correlations, and to try to avoid headache by avoiding factors they identify as triggers.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
Migraine is a neurological disease characterized by flare-ups generally referred to as "migraine attacks."
Migraine pain is often described as throbbing or pulsating pain that is intensified by routine physical activity, coughing, straining, or lowering the head. The headache is often so severe that it interferes with daily activity and may awaken the person.
People who suffer from migraine ususally experience their first attack before their 20's, so if yo are in your 40's and never had a migraine then probably you do not have migraine at all & the cause may be any other reason for a headache.
A migraine typically begins in a specific area on one side of the head, then spreads and builds in intensity over 1 to 2 hours and then gradually subsides. It can last up to 24 hours, and in some cases, several days.
Hands and feet may feel cold and sweaty and unusual odors may be intolerable. In migraine with aura, formerly called classical migraine, the headache phase is preceded or accompanied by a group of specific symptoms called aura, most commonly experienced as a visual disturbance prior to the attack. Aura usually lasts less than 60 minutes,
Migraine often runs in families and starts in adolescence, although evidence indicates that it starts also in childhood (including infants) or even in utero. In children, migraine has some distinct features: headache is more often bilateral or difficult to localize, the patient is unable to describe the symptoms with significant accuracy; in infants, migraine attacks may be manifested by periods of somnolence or irritability.
Because their symptoms vary, an intense headache may be misdiagnosed as a migraine by a layperson. Indeed, many other headaches, some of them caused by very serious diseases (like a brain tumor, hydrocephalus, brain vascular disorders) may have a great resemblance to the clinical picture of migraine and can lead to misdiagnosis. Where possible, see a doctor to determine if the headaches are a symptom of something else.
More recent imaging techniques seem to show that migraine is primarily a disorder of the brain (neurological), not of the blood vessels (vascular). A spreading depolarization (electrical changes) may begin 24 hours before the attack, with onset of the headache occurring at about the time of maximum brain coverage. The effects of migraine may persist for some days after the main headache has ended. Many sufferers report a sore feeling in the area where the migraine was, and some report impaired thinking for a few days after the headache has passed.
TREATMENT FOR MIGRAINE
Conventional treatment focuses on three areas:
Trigger avoidance
Symptomatic control and
Preventive drugs.
Patients who experience migraines often find that these recommended treatments are not always effective at preventing migraine.
Our treatments provide excellent relief and reduce the recurrence rate, even the migraine attacks usually stop altogether. Homeopathy is based on individualization and the treatment is absolutely free from any side-effects.
Trigger avoidance becomes important if the recurrence cannot be taken care off.
Patients can attempt to identify and avoid factors that promote or precipitate migraine episodes.
Moderation in alcohol and caffeine intake, consistency in sleep habits, and regular meals may also prove to be helpful.
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What is Migraine?