I have been suffering from migraine headaches for almost 20 years. I
got my first really bad headache when I was 18 years old. I remember it
very clearly, it scared the sh*t out of me. I had no idea what it was
and I thought I was dying!! It was so bad I had to be hospitalized. I
couldn’t see. I literally couldn’t walk or talk. If I attempted to move
even an inch, it felt like my head would explode. I was hospitalized
for two days after just moving to a new city on my own.
Thankfully,
I have only had to be hospitalized for migraines a handful of times in
my life and I haven’t had one that severe in a really long time. They
ran a bunch of tests, did at CT scan and ended up diagnosing me with
classic migraine headaches.
Though I haven’t been bothered with
any that severe in I’d say 15 years, I am constantly bothered with
recurrences. The frequency of the headaches are starting to increase. I
thought I’d go online and brush up on my migraine knowledge to see if
there is some new information I’ve been missing.
Migraine
headaches affect about 15 % of the population. About 75% of
“migraineurs” are women. There are two general types of migraine
headaches:
The Classic - This is the less common kind (the kind
that I suffer from) occur in only around 20 % of the migraine
population. They are characterized by the “aura” that precedes the
actual headache. The aura is a visual show of sorts where you see
spots, shadow and jagged lines. “Blind spots” may also occur. One might
also experience tingling in the hands and face. Speech problems can
also occur. This happens 10 - 30 minutes before the headache happens.
The classic migraine is generally more severe than the common migraine
and can last anywhere from a couple hours to 2 or 3 days.
The pain is generally on one side around the temples or behind the eyes and can bring nausea.
The
Common - This is the type that occurs in about 80% of migraineurs.
There is no aura present. They can also last for a few hours up to a
few days. The pain starts the same as the classic but can spread.
Migraines
are caused by changes in the flow of blood to the brain. The blood
vessels either expand or contract causing the effects of a migraine
headache. Some things that can trigger an attack are:
- Changes in weather
- Being tired, stressed or depressed
- Changes in hormones (some women get what is called a menstrual migraine)
- Some kinds of food
- Changes in sleeping pattern or lack of sleep
- Intense physical activity
There
is no cure for this disease but there are things that you can do that
might lessen the frequency or severity of the headaches.
1. Get plenty of rest and try to avoid changes in sleeping patterns.
2.
Work on ways of dealing with your “daily” stressors. This one is huge
and likely the most common cause. Things that occur all the time and
are just part of life. Trying to have a career and raise a family,
stress of bills and running a household, trying to wear all the
different hats you have. Stressors are different for each individual
but we need to find a ways of managing out stress.
3. Take time for yourself. Being good to yourself and taking care of your needs is so important.
4. Eat a healthy well balanced diet. Try to avoid food that for you can cause a headache.
5.
See your doctor to discuss what course of treatment is best for you.
Many drugs are available these days. Including things as common as
Advil for Migraines to prescription drugs such as Imitrex. One drug may
work better for your kind of headache than another, but ask your doctor.
6. I saw some research being done on nerve stimulators that are said to help with the pain.
MAGNUM is a national migraine awareness group. For more information on Migraines you can visit http://migraines.org/
