Health Insurance Now !

Author Archive

It’s the very rare person who has never had a headache. However, not all headaches are equally created. One of the most painful and difficult to manage is the migraine.

Migraines are classified as throbbing headaches that are felt on only one side of the head. Most migraine sufferers experience some degree of nausea and even vomiting. They are also sensitive to light and sound and the pain becomes worse with activity.

Some migraineurs experience sensory disturbances (auras) at the beginning of a headache. This might include brightly colored blinking lines, flashes of light, colored dots or black spots. It can also cause a person to see only half of an object. This type of an attack is called a ‘classical migraine’ and the headache usually starts within 10 to 30 minutes of experiencing the aura. This type of headache is experienced by 10 to 15 percent of all migraineurs.

The ‘common’ migraine is what the other 85% – 90% of the people will get. Their warning signs could include a hot sensation in the head, a feeling of heaviness and a tightening sensation throughout the scalp. These warnings can occur anywhere from a few hours to an entire day before the headache commences.

Learning to read your own body warnings and symptoms can be a very important part of developing an effective treatment program for your headaches. It’s a good idea to keep a little symptom diary so that you can identify any patterns that might emerge. For instance, you might find that the migraine comes on around the same time every month. If that’s the case, and you are a woman, it could be tied in with your monthly cycle.

A migraine headache can last anywhere from four hours to seventy-two hours. It usually starts with a dull, aching pain, developing into an overwhelming throbbing pain that can fluctuate. Those who are very sensitive to light need to retire to a darkened room and lie as still as possible. Bending over or any sudden movement can make the pain worse. Other changes in the body can include diarrhea, loss of appetite and increased urination.

When the headache is at its worse, the hands and feet can feel icy cold. This is in contrast to the hot feeling in the head that is felt just before the migraine. The hypothalamus is the bodys thermostat and it is believed that these changes in the body temperature are brought about by disturbances in this area.

Instead of experiencing the migraine during a period of stress, it is felt that it actually occurs after a period of intense stress has ended. Some examples would be after the person gets back from vacation, when the weekend is over or shortly after meeting an important deadline. Many people feel completely exhausted when the migraine is all over and they feel unwell for a day or so. Others, however, report feeling a sense of renewal and a surge of energy.

If, after reading this, you believe that the headaches you are having are migraines, it is recommended that you visit your health care provider, as regular over-the-counter pain medication will do very little to help alleviate your headache.