What Are Migraine Headaches

Basically, there are headaches and there are migraine headaches. A simple headache is when your head aches - hence the name "headache". However migraines are so much more.

A standard head ache can be caused by almost anything from a head cold to eye-strain. However a "migraine-headache" can start as a slight pain but then develops to something much more. The pain can last for days. Some people even feel the room is spinning, and they can feel sick as well. Often the head feels as though it is throbbing with the pain. Another symptom is sensitivity to light and many people have to lie down in a quiet, dark room.

Migrane

No one really knows what causes headaches let alone migraine headaches. We do know that some people are more prone to them than others. Women seem more prone than men but they are common to both sexes. Neither are they limited to age groups as even children can have migraines.

What Are Migraine Headaches

We also know that there are triggers but they vary from person to person. For some people it can be a food like cheese or chocolate or even any dairy products. Even hormonal imbalance can set them off (hence the large quota of women who can have them at certain times of the month). For some people, stress can be a trigger while for others too much or not enough sleep can set them off. Even climate or room temperature can affect some people, while others are affected by loud sounds and flashing lights.

For simple headaches, there are paracetamol and locally supplied remedies. However, the very nature of a migraine makes it much harder to treat. This is probably because once it has started it seems to get complicated as there are usually more than one symptom. There are herbal remedies for those who don't like taking medication but sometimes the only answer is to lie down until it passes.

Once migraines are present, most people will go to a doctor or even an optician, just to check there isn't an underlying cause that can be remedied. Once medical causes have been ruled out, many look at lifestyle and keep event diaries as well as food diaries to try and find any "triggers". The hope is that once a trigger has been found it can be avoided. We can all learn to take better care of our bodies.

There is a big need in these busy days to make time to listen to our bodies and slow down at times to give ourselves a rest. We don't really know enough about migraines to make hard and fast rules, but attention to lifestyle can make a lot of difference.

What Are Migraine Headaches

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