A migraine is more than a headache. It is more intense, your head throbs with pain, and can even cause nausea. You become sensitive to sounds and lights. A migraine is caused by swollen blood vessels and nerves in and next to the brain.
Migraines sufferers start feeling pains when the excited brain cells set off the trigeminal nerve that releases chemicals that irritate and cause swelling of your blood vessels on the brains surface. As a result, this causes the vessels to send signals to your brain stem to cause great pain.
There is a major difference between a headache and a migraine. A headache is the muscles, scalp, and neck tightening and causing pains, whereas a migraine is a change in the chemicals in your body. The vessels in the brain begin to expand and your serotonin levels lower, causing nerves to misfire and severe pain to set in.
Over 29 million people suffer from migraines.
More women have migraines than men. For every 1 man, 3 women obtain a migraine. It is most common for people from ages 25 through 55 to have these pounding attacks, but even a 5-year-old child can have an attack.
Research shows that about 75% of people who suffer from migraines have a family history of them. Half of the people who suffer from this head pain aren’t diagnosed correctly by their physician. Most doctors say it is a sinus problem or a tension headache.
What Trigger Migraine Attack
Many things can trigger a migraine attack. If you alter your biological clock, start taking different medications, or even skip a meal you may be setting yourself up for a migraine. Also bright or fluorescent lights, watching too much TV, excessive noise and stress can trigger an attack as well.
Before a migraine, you may experience some warning signs. You may see dots, lines or flashing lights. It may even become as severe as not being able to speak or having tingling body parts. Pain is typical felt not only in the brain but around your eyes and well as temples. Your face, jaws, and sinuses can also be affected if a migraine is severe enough. It may be as bad as not even being able to touch your head!
A migraine attack may last up to 72 hours. Climbing stairs can intensify the symptoms of a headache, as well as may be dangerous due to visual disturbances and aura. It is often important to take a rest in a dark, quiet room to cure some symptoms.
Supporting Migraine Sufferer
Approximately 25 million workdays are lost in the United state due to a migraine suffer. In other to support migraine sufferers, you need to tackle potential migraine triggers such as ensuring that the sufferer undergoes assessments, encouraging good posture, reducing noise where possible, and encouraging him or her to take some rest from long periods work. All these will help in reducing sickness and improve morale and retention.
