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A recent US study published by Dr Nouchine Hadjikhani of The Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital in the November online issue of Neurology reveals that the cortex area of the brain is thicker in people who have migraines, although researchers have not yet determined whether the difference causes the migraine or having migraine over the years is the reason for the changes in the brain structure. Through the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Dr Hadjikhani and his team discovered that people who suffered from migraine had an average 21 per cent thicker SSCs and that the most important differences in cortical thickness were in the caudal (tail) SSC which processes sensations from the trigeminal area, the head and the face.

In a manner of speaking, a blog carnival is a collection of webpages to a variety of a blogs on a certain topic. The Headache & Migraine Blog Carnival has been founded to help headache patients and people who blog about it with a focused perspective to share their ideas on topics of significant interest and importance to us Migraineurs. The summer season can be a fun time of the year with special summer events where family and friends get together and bring and eat lots of great food. However, it is also the time when headache and migraine sufferers worry about.

They try to cope up with the pressure by attending social events, do away with migraine triggering foods and drinks, abnormal sleeping patterns and many other stresses and problems that comes with summer. Even the frustration that results from migraine seems to only make matters worse by making routine tasks more unbearable or even impossible to do because some Migraineurs peg over the top expectations for ourselves. Because of this, ending up stuck in bed nursing a horrific migraine can be quite disappointing and instead of having a fun time with your family and friends. If there is any consolation, its the thought that you’re not alone in facing these frustrations and there is an online support group to that helps each other come up with coping strategies.

Founded in 1965, the Migraine Trust is a UK-based medical research and patient support charity dedicated to the advocation and promotion of public consciousness on the causes and effects of migraine. Over £3 million have been invested in 130 research projects aimed to advance the diagnosis and treatment of migraine. The Trust also offers services such as a helpline and a written inquiry service for questions and concerns about migraine, and several publications such as factsheets and regular newsletters which have in-depth discussion on topics related to migraine. These publications can also be supplied to health professionals who, in turn, can distribute these free copies to their patients.

Migraine is caused by prolonged headaches. To put it simple, a migraine is a chronic headache. It must be noted that migraine is hereditary. According to neurologists, migraine develops at a very young age. Usually it grows into a full condition during teenage years. The good thing is, migraine has a time span. It is not suffered for life. Migraine can disappear when the person has hit forty’s. Migraine can also be acquired through the lack of sleep and improper diet. Anything that destroys the natural balance of the body can trigger a migraine. Stress can also be a factor for this. There are medicine available to treat migraine but therapy is more preferable not to mention effective. Staying away from the television or the computer monitor is also recommended as this could could further damage to the eye nerves which triggers painful throbs in the head.

A migraine is normally triggered by the following things:

Hormonal changes – Fluctuation in estrogen seem to trigger migraine in many women with migraines. Women with a family history of migraine, often account headaches shortly before or after their menstruation.
Foods – Alcohol, aged cheeses, chocolates, gorge of caffeine, pickled or marinated foods, and canned and processed foods are some of the foods that trigger headache.
Changes in environment – Change of weather aggravate headaches.
Stress either at home or in work
Changes in wake-sleep pattern – which is to either lack of sleep or oversleeping
Physical factors – Forceful physical exertion, which includes sexual activity.

Migraines are frequently undiagnosed and untreated, that may lead to a more serious illness. A person experiencing migraine may track and record their attacks, and may refer to these following signs and symptoms, which may indicate other, more serious medical problems:

An unexpected, severe headache, similar to thunderclap
Headache after a head injury, especially if the headache becomes worse overtime
A persistent headache that is worse after coughing, physical exertion, straining or a rapid movement
New headache pain if you’re 45 and up
Headache with stiff neck, mental confusion, fever, seizures, double vision, weakness, numbness, or trouble in speaking

Migraine may root from family history. If the parents experienced migraines, there’s a superior chance that one will inherit it too. If a person is young and female, there is also a moderately higher risk of migraines. Women are three times more prone to have migraines than men are.

A woman with migraine may find that headaches occur before or shortly after their menstruation. Migraine attacks may also adjust during pregnancy or menopause. If pregnancy or menstruation affects a woman’s migraine, the headaches are also possible to get worse if one takes birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Stroke and Migraine have similar signs, which may lead someone in believing that they are experiencing a stroke. A migraine is a type of severe, sporadically returning headache, usually limited to one side of the head or may affect both sides. While a stroke, is a disruption in the blood supply to the brain. It is commonly referred to as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). A migraine doesn’t grounds to a brain damage, either in the short or long term. Stroke consequences to a brain damage, which varies from mild to disabling. In rigorous cases, a stroke can cause coma or death.