Throbbing pain, nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to light and sound are just some of the symptoms you may experience when having a migraine. Migraine is more than a headache. It is a neurological medical condition characterized by a series of repeated attacks of severe pounding headache.
Researchers and doctors are still unable to determine the main cause of migraines. However, they found a few things that increase your chances of experiencing this excruciating pain:
1) Your biological makeup. Your gender, age, and genes affect your risks of having migraines. Men are 3 times more likely to get migraines than women. Headaches peak in your 30s according to studies. When a family member has migraines, you most likely will have it too.
2) Physical strain. Long hours of physical work at your job and intense workout can cause migraines.
3) Irregular sleep schedule. Sleep restores and repairs all our body parts including the brain. It makes total sense that when you lack sleep, your chances of getting migraines are higher.
4) Dehydration. There is little scientific research to support the notion of lack of water causing headaches. But because water in general is vital in our overall health, it is said that lack of water causes a decrease of blood and oxygen flow to the brain that leads to headaches.
5) Too much medication. Contrary to why we take medicines, consuming too many in a short period of time can cause more harm, more migraines – an occurrence called Medication Overuse Headache or MOH.
Identifying what triggers your migraine can help you manage it or better yet, to avoid future attacks. Here are some of the things that might help you how to cope with your migraine:
1) Make a list of the things that you think are the root cause of your migraines and then try to avoid them. If you are triggered by strobe lights, avoid it. If rigorous workout causes you headache, try to start slow down and then work it up from there.
2) Try to have a regular schedule of when to go to bed.
3) Give yourself a time in a day to relax.
4) Eat a balanced diet and drink your water.
5) If you have Medication Overuse Headache, talk to your doctor about this.
Migraine is considered chronic when it lingers for 15 days or more and is considered not dangerous. Though some migraines can be red flags especially when you experience it with auras. An Aura can be a visual or sensory impairment that can precede or accompany a migraine. Visual auras are more common (e.g. shimmering lights, or as arcs, shapes, colors or patterns). Sometimes visual symptoms may look like dark spots or can be a total or partial loss of vision.
People who experience their migraines with auras are more susceptible to have strokes or may have other underlying medical conditions. If you experience recurring migraine, consult your doctor immediately.
Migraines are common but you can avoid it and treat it with proper diagnosis.