There is data which suggests that up to 15% of the world’s population suffer from migraine. The cost to business because of days lost from work is staggering. Migraine headaches affect a person’s daily life in so many ways and yet the condition is still very much misunderstood.
A migraine headache generally affects only one side of the head. It can last for days on end, but can have periods of intermittent freedom in between migraine attacks. Movement worsened the headache as does any physical activity. It is completely debilitating in that the whole body will shut down while the attack is being felt, most people with migraines cannot do anything until the attack is over. The headache is only one of the many symptoms of migraine.
A migraine attack can be extremely disturbing. There is a stage just before the onset of the migraine known as the “aura”. This is a series of visual disturbances and affects around one fifth of sufferers. Much of the time, migraine headaches symptoms include other factors such as confusion, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and in some extreme cases the patient can even lose the power of speech and become temporarily paralyzed. Light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, and sensitivity to strong smells is also reported frequently.
Migraine is a condition which is suffered by people of all ages. Babies have been diagnosed with migraine who are as young as one-year-old. It is a problem which is suffered far more by women than it is by men. Evidence suggests that this is due to the changes in the hormonal levels and females. In almost 2/3 of the cases, it found that migraine is hereditary.
There are different phases to the migraine attacks. Not every sufferer will go through the same sequence of phases, nor will they go through all the phases. If you know what your own phases are, you are more likely to be able to mitigate the effects and predict an oncoming migraine attack.
Triggers are a big factor in almost half of the migraine attacks suffered. If you know what these triggers are, you can try to lessen the frequency of attacks by avoiding these triggers, it becomes a powerful tool. Triggers can be anything from a particular food, light or weather patterns, travel, lack of sleep or irregular sleep, stress levels which have become heightened or even changes in a person’s daily routine. A diary of attacks can be kept which may over time point to recurring triggers. You may be able to isolate different patterns that are triggering attacks.
Although migraine can completely destroy the quality of life that you’re leading, they are not life-threatening. And, most of the time you will find many people very supportive, it is ultimately up to you how you manage your condition. You must work on ways of preventing the next attack or at least mitigating the effects. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this condition. Migraine headaches can be managed very effectively with self-help and different medical treatments.