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In a study published in the April 22, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, people with migraine are more likely to experience exacerbated skin sensitivity or pain after non-painful daily activities such as rubbing one’s head, combing one’s hair and wearing necklaces or earrings, compared to other people with other types of headache. There were 16,573 people with headache who were surveyed about their type of headache, frequency, quality of life, depression and other illnesses that cause pain. The survey showed that there were 11,737 participants with migraine, 1,491 with probable migraine (those people who have all but one of the symptoms required for migraine diagnosis) and 3,345 with another kind of headache. The study discovered that 68% of those who suffered from almost daily headaches or chronic migraine and 63% of those with episodic migraines reported allodynia, an intense and unpleasant, painful skin sensitivity. Also, 42% of people with probable migraine reported the skin pain compared to 37% of those with daily or tension headache.

Taken from www.menstrualmigraine.org, these questions may help you determine if you suffer from menstrual migraines. If you have migraines around the time of your period and you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, see your healthcare provider to check if you may have menstrual migraine.

1) Does any woman in your family have migraines around the time of her period?
2) Are your migraines more severe during your period compared to other times?
3) Do your migraines usually last longer than 24 hours?
4) Does your migraine pain return within 24 hours of taking medication?
5) Do you take multiple doses of prescription migraine medication for the same migraine?
6) Do you take over-the-counter pain relievers in addition to migraine medication for the same migraine?

Menstrual Migraines are classified into two kinds: 1)Menstrually Related Migraine (MRM), and; 2) Pure Menstrual Migraine (PMM). A Menstrually Related Migraine is a headache of moderate-to-severe pain intensity that occurs during a certain time around the period and even at other times of the month while Pure Menstrual Migraine, on the other hand, occurs during the time around the period. What exactly causes Menstrual Migraine is still uncertain, but some studies claim that there appears to be a connection between changes in hormone levels around menstruation and migraine. Studies have revealed that it may have something to do with changes in hormone levels which usually happen right before the period starts. Also, in those women who are likely to suffer from migraine, this can act as a hormonal trigger.

Silent migraine is a kind of migraine attack that does not include a headache. Silent migraine is also called acephalgic migraine, sans-migraine, migraine equivalent, eye migraine, visual migraine, ocular migraine, painless migraine or simply migraine aura without headache. Today it is popularly called migraine aura without headache. Migraine aura without headache often occurs later in life and is more common in men than in women. Migraine aura is usually used to refer to visual symptoms (though it is also used to describe many of the other symptoms that go along with migraine). These might comprise of seeing zig zags or flashing lights, or having dizziness or vertigo. It is also reported that only about 15% of migraineurs deal with aura.

The best advice one can give (in terms of diet) to people who are suffering from headache migraine is simply to eat a well balanced diet with lots of fresh, non-processed foods. This type of diet should include a variety of grains, fruits and vegetables. However, there are a few specific foods that may be introduced into a migraineur’s diet which are claimed by many to have helped lessen the pain. These are peppermint, cayenne pepper, ginger, fish and fish oil, foods rich in calcium like spinach, broccoli and kale, foods rich in magnesium like spinach, oatmeal, wheat, and garlic.

There are some foods which are reported to be common diet headache migraine foods and, therefore, must be avoided or eaten in moderation. Cheese (except cottage, farmer’s, ricotta and cream), alcohol (most esp. red wine), caffeine, chocolate, aged and non-fresh meats and liver, products with meat and hydrolyzed protein like gravy and soup mixes, soy beans, italian green beans, broad bean pods, MSG, nuts (especially peanuts), yeast (especially in homemade bread and sourdough), sauerkraut and other aged foods. Also, a big problem for migraine sufferers is food with tyramine. Foods that should be eaten with caution include salad dressing, rennet tablets, dried fruits (including raisins), imitation crab, licorice, mushrooms, snails, salty foods, rhubarb, citrus fruits, ripe avocado, ripe banana, yogurt and buttermilk, fresh raspberries, red plums, onions, worcestershire or teriyaki sauce and, for some, wheat.

Comorbid conditions are said to be conditions that occur at the same time, but independently of each other. Reportedly, the most common comorbid condition with migraine is major depressive disorder or clinical depression. About 47% of migraineurs claimed to experience major depressive disorder, however, doctors state that neither causes the other. Comorbid conditions can have major effects on the treatment of the individual disorders. Now, thyroid diseases (including hypothyroidism) are among the conditions known to be usually comorbid with headaches and migraines. Also, a strong connection has been discovered between hypothyroidism and new daily persistent headache (NDPH) and chronic migraine.

Do you know what a migraine is? Do you know what causes migraine attacks? Do you know what to do in case of a migraine attack? Are you sensitive enough to other people who are suffering from migraine headaches? Test yourself and take this Migraine Quiz courtesy of www.relieve-migraine-headache.com. Just click on the image above to start taking the quiz. Note: your browser must have a Macromedia Flash player installed in order to make the quiz work. If you find the quiz amusing and informative, link your website to the quiz or share it with your friends. The URL of the quiz is: www.relieve-migraine-headache.com/migraine-quiz.html.