What is a migraine and how does it differ from a severe headache? What are the symptoms of migraines and how can a migraine sufferer go about reducing the effects of a migraine attack?

A migraine is a medical condition that causes sufferers, most often women, to experience severe headache often described as an intense pounding or drumming on one of both sides of the head for extended periods of time with several other symptoms also being present.

Unlike a severe headache a migraine attack can also include any of the following symptoms:

• nausea
• vomiting
• light and sound sensitivity
• temporary loss of vision
• dizziness or feeling faint
• lack of co-ordination

Migraines will often be more intense around the temple area of the head or in some cases it will be felt most behind one eye, however a migraine can affect any area of the head and varies for many sufferers.

A migraine attack can occur at any time but it is common for sufferers to start feeling the onset of a migraine first thing in the morning upon waking, for some sufferers a pending migraine attack can wake them from their sleep.

A migraine sufferer can have an attack that last hours or days, sometimes occuring several times during a one month period, it can have a debilitating effect on day to day life with attacks occuring within days of each other leaving the sufferer with only a day or two of respite before another attack. For others a migraine can occur only once or twice a year.

Nobody is fully sure of the cause of migraines but studies have indicated that migraines are often associated with certain triggers. Some of the triggers that are thought to be the cause are listed below:

• Lack of sleep or oversleeping
• skipped meals
• an excess of caffine in the diet
• caffine withdrawal
• red wine
• changes in the weather
• hormonal changes including menstrual cycle and pregnancy
• loud sudden noises
• overly strong odors
• luncheon meats that contain nitrates
• anxiety and stress
• bright lights
• foods containing MSG (monosodium glutamate)
• foods containing tyramine such as soy products and aged cheeses

As migraines are still being studied and as yet there is no cure to migraines, it is recommended that sufferers take note of when an attack occurs and if there were any of the suspected triggers experienced or consumed within the hours preceeding the attack

The cause of a migraine is not quite fully understood but it is thought that a family history of migraine may play a part in who will suffer from an attack. Migraines sufferers are most often women aged between 15 and 55, which would lead one to believe that a major contribiuting factor would be hormonal changes starting with puberty and sometimes ending with menopause. Pregnancy has also been noted as a trigger for migraines and there are many women who may have never been sufferers before that become prone to sevear attacks after pregnancy, in some cases for many years after the birth of the child. Migraines are also thought to decrease in intensity with age.

Scientifically the suspected cause of migranes is down to abnormal changes of the level of substances that are naturally produced in the brain which, when increased can cause inflammation, forcing blood vessels to swell and put pressure on the surrounding nerves which then causes sever pain in the sufferer.

There are thought to be two different types of migraines, one, the classic migraine or aura migraine is thought to be most common in men, although affecting only one fifth of all sufferers.

The aura migraine (classic)

Most common in male sufferers this form of migraine can include all or any of the migraine symptoms listed above as well as a disturbed sense of smell, touch or taste. It is called an aura migrane because of the disturbance to the senses of the sufferer and could also be described as a migraine that has a pre warning symptom, many sufferers experience this migraine aura before an actual attack and can advert the attact itself with specific preventitive prescription drugs.

The other form of migraine that is most common to women sufferers is called a common migraine and is a sudden migraine, one that does not have warning signs or symptoms.

The Common Migraine

This form of migraine is responsible for the other four fifths of all migraines and is similar to the classic migraine in that the main symptoms of migraine are the same, only the disturbance of senses is not present. Unlike the classic form, as there is no warning period for this type of migraine so it does not respond to the prescription drugs that can be taken pre attack and can only be treated with the standard medications prescribed for this type of attack.

Migraines are very often confused with other types of severe headaches such as tension headaches but the difference is that most often severe headaches do not become disturbing and disabling. Tension headaches also rarely interfere with day to day activities and it is not usual for even a severe headache to last as long as a migrane.

In very severe cases migraine sufferers are so debilitated that they are unable to go about simple tasks and it is not uncommon for an attack to cause the sufferer to be incapable of movement without extreme pain often causing one to retire to a dark room for several hours incapable of slight movement of any part of the body without severe pain, (My partner being one such sufferer often stated that the only way to avoid the pain was to remain completely motionless for several hours)

Dealing with migraines when there is no known cause can become quite distressing for the sufferer. Advice for coping with a migraine attack is hard to find as there is no cure for a migraine. The most successful way to help a sufferer deal with an attack is to be prepared and keep notes of each attack for future occurances.

Keeping a notepad of the times a migraine occurs and the frequency can be helpful in predicting when an attack is likely to occur. Many sufferers have noted a sequence appearing after keeping track of the times and dates.

When keeping a diary of your attack you should include any or all of the triggers listed above if they occured within a day or two of an attack. It can take quite a long time for anything significant to appear as regular sufferers can have more than one trigger.

Many people are reluctant to visit a doctor for migraine relief and in most cases this is due to the confusion over symptoms, while many people who suffer with severe headaches may be unaware that the symptoms of nausea etc that are associated with migranes this could actually mean they have a migraine rather than a headache.

Sometimes a migraine can signal another medical condition. Always seek your doctors advice if any of the following apply:

• Your migraines occur on a very regular basis with little respite between attacks
• If your migraines last a significant length of time
• If you also experience confusion or loss of alertness
• If your migraine occurs after a fall or other head injury
• If you were previously a non sufferer of migraines
• If your migraine interferes with day to day life
• If you experience convulsions
• If you are in any way worried about your migraines

When visiting your doctor in regards to migraine relief bring any medication you may already be taking as some medication can increase occurrances of attacks in sufferers or even cause attacks in people who would not normally be prone to migraines.

Although there is no cure for migraines, there are prescription drugs available that can work for many people to either help avoid an attack or at the very least decrease the intensity of the attack.

Personal Experience of Migraine and useful tips

As I may have mentioned before, my partner suffered with severe migraine attacks and this hub has been inspired by her. She is now free of migraines after nearly six years of almost constant attacks, occuring as often as twice weekly with maybe only two days of respite in any given week.

Lifestyle change

Although my partners migraine attacks were, in her opinion hormonal, occuring after the birth of our first child right through to our third childs first birthday, there are some lifestyle changes that had an impact on relieving her attacks.

Change of diet was one major factor, increasing her intake of fresh fruit and vegetables and decreasing her intake of processed foods.

Exercise once to twice daily, thirty minutes each time, usually this was as simple as a short walk in a relatively peaceful area, fresh air seemed to help the length of time an attack lasted

Cutting down on some of the suspected triggers prior to menstruation.

Keeping a record of attacks and triggers, although we tried to find a trigger for her attacks there was none that stood out to us, however after consulting our doctor and with the use of some prescription medicines we did find that a contributing factor was in fact bright lights, sunshine in particular.

Although my partner was on medication near the end of her attacks, in the sixth year, she only needed to take the medication for a little over three months, she now has not had an attack in over two years.

As you may be able to tell over the six years she suffered we have learned a great deal about migraines and I am glad to be able to share this knowledge with others now.