allaboutmigraine.com

MYTH: MIGRAINE IS CAUSED BY PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS, SUCH AS STRESS AND DEPRESSION.

REALITY: MIGRAINE IS A NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE, NOT A PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER.

Migraine is a true organic neurological disease. A Migraine is caused when a physiological (not psychological) trigger or triggers cause vasodilatation in the cranial blood vessels, which triggers nerve endings to release chemical substances called neurotransmitters, of which the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HTT) is an important factor in the development of Migraine.

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MYTH: A MIGRAINE IS JUST A BAD HEADACHE.

REALITY: MIGRAINE IS A DISEASE, A HEADACHE IS ONLY A SYMPTOM. IN ADDITION, THE CAUSE OF MIGRAINE PAIN IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE CAUSE OF HEADACHE PAIN.

Migraine is disease, a headache is only a symptom. Migraine pain is caused by vasodilation in the cranial blood vessels (expansion of the blood vessels), while headache pain is caused by vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels). During a migraine, inflammation of the tissue surrounding the brain, i.e., neurogenic inflammation, exacerbates the pain. Therefore, medicine often prescribed to treat a headache, such as beta-blockers, dilate the blood vessels and therefore can make a Migraine worse.

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The effects of acupuncture have long been known, proof that the wisdom of the ancient Chinese who developed and used it for almost all ailments to be true. Though the links between acupuncture and medical technology have been somewhat established, they are somewhat still a gray zone due to the fact the areas that are said to be sensitive to the ailing part of the human body responds in the same way even if it were done in the wrong area. Maybe its the mere knowledge that the procedure will be helping ease the pain for the placebo effect can take hold even if the treatment wasn’t totally right in the administration. Read the rest of this entry »

Which is caused by people staying away from physical activity due to fear of initiating or causing migraine attacks. The decision to forgo physical activity can indeed cause obesity but that should be done so only with professional opinion. It is true that certain physical activity can aggravate migraines and even cause them but to steer away completely from exercise can create a totally new condition or health effect. The truth is that no exercise program has ever been approved of being migraine safe so proper medical testing and advise should be considered to take in all the factors that may be causing your migraine. Some migraines are caused by stress and some by activity but this warrants more study to ensure a link is either proven true or false. Read the rest of this entry »

With the global economic slowdown, migraines are becoming a common fact of life as stresses pile up in and outside of the home. It has become so bad that a government study into the exaggerated headache has been mandated due to the effects it can have on several of the government’s systems. Health Care, Workplace and home life is greatly affected with the quality of life diminishing considerably. Though most are stress related, there are exceptional cases that have physical manifestations such as unseen blood clots and issues with the brain itself and the way it works. Physical differences between the structures of the brain have been found and are being studied. Influencing the economy with millions of lost man-hours of work, strain on the health care system and health insurance it is indeed a growing concern for all that hopefully gets proper attention before it gets too much out of hand.

Image Source: www.apps.uwhealth.org

For some, migraines are infrequent. On the other side of the spectrum are people who have frequent recurrences and whose lives can be debilitated by pain. Fortunately, progress is being made in migraine management. Although an individualized treatment approach is often necessary, most people can be helped.

Migraine headaches are severe, usually one- sided headaches that often occur with nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light or sound. People often describe migraine headaches as throbbing or piercing. The pain may range from mild to terribly severe.

Although migraine headaches are usually one- sided, there may be pain on both sides of the head. In some people, the pain may switch sides each time they have a migraine.

Migraine headaches sometimes occur with an aura, a group of symptoms that usually develop 5 to 30 minutes before a migraine begins. Visual disturbances, such as flashing lights, distortion, in the size or shape of objects, or blind or dark spots in your field of vision are the most common symptoms of an aura.