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Every seventh inhabitant of the planet suffers from migraine, and women get sick 3-4 times more often than men. What is this disease and what provokes its appearance? Find out now.
The word “migraine” comes from the ancient Greek hemikrania, which means half of the head. Indeed, pain often occurs on one side. But bilateral headache does not contradict the diagnosis of migraine. If for a long time the pain is persistently one-sided, this is a signal of danger and may indicate a volumetric process in the brain (for example, a tumor).
With migraines, the headache usually lasts 4 to 72 hours (unless you try to stop it with medication or other management of the attack), although you may feel unwell shortly before and for several days after the migraine attack.
You can tell if you have a migraine with a test .
When does a migraine occur?
The first migraine attack usually occurs between the ages of 18 and 33. The main period of this disease, when migraine attacks are most disturbing, falls on the age of 30 – 40 years. In girls, in particular, it can start during puberty.
Since migraine can be inherited, it is often family in nature: migraine is much more common in relatives of patients. If a child has both parents with migraines, the risk of developing this form of headache reaches 90%. If the mother had migraine attacks, then the risk of the disease is approximately 72%, if the father has 30%. In men with migraines, mothers suffered from migraines 4 times more often than fathers.
Read next: What are the types of migraines
Factors provoking the onset of migraine.
Migraine without aura – typical migraine
Headache of moderate or severe intensity, usually pulsating in nature; as a rule, it covers only one half of the head. Approximately 80 – 90% of people with migraine have this type. The duration of the attack is 4 – 72 hours.
The headache is accompanied by two or more of the following symptoms:
nausea and / or vomiting
photophobia (increased sensitivity to light),
phonophobia (increased sensitivity to sound),
osmophobia (increased sensitivity to odors).
Characteristically, physical activity aggravates the headache.
Migraine with aura – classic migraine
In addition to the symptoms characteristic of migraine without aura, a number of neurological manifestations arise that develop shortly before the onset of the headache and last 20-60 minutes (this type occurs in 10% of people with migraine). These symptoms are called aura. Most often, there are visual impairments: asterisks; zigzags; blind spots. Sometimes there are other manifestations: difficulty speaking; muscle weakness; impaired perception; impaired coordination of movements; tingling sensations, goose bumps in the fingers, gradually rising up to the face.
Read next: What factors trigger a migraine attack
You will benefit from regular exercise.
There are the most common factors that trigger a migraine attack in most people. These include:
Environmental factors: bright sunlight, light flickering (TV, computer), loud or monotonous noise, strong odors, changing weather conditions.
Foodstuffs: canned meat, cheese, citrus fruits, chocolate, bananas, dried fruits, herring, nuts, sunflower seeds, beans, milk, red wine, champagne, beer, tea, coffee, coca-cola.
Psychogenic factors: stress, long rest, lack of sleep, discharge after excessive positive or negative emotions.
Menstrual cycle: For many women, migraines are more likely to occur a few days before and after, as well as during menstruation. Others note that headache bothers them more or, conversely, less during pregnancy, the first month after childbirth, or during menopause.
Medications: oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, nitrates, reserpine.
As well as other factors, such as: hypoglycemia (hunger), vestibular stimuli (driving in a car, train, etc.), dehydration, sex, hormonal changes in the body.
One of the most common causes is hunger or insufficient food intake. This is especially true for young patients – patients suffering from migraines should not skip breakfast! In women, fluctuations in hormones associated with the menstrual cycle are a significant potential trigger. These and most other triggers represent some kind of stress, which supports the assumption that people with migraines generally do not respond well to any changes.
For more information on migraines and how to deal with migraines, please follow the link: .