Migraines, their causes and their effects.

“You rise from bed with a headache pounding and throbbing. You can’t stand the light or any sound. You feel like you might vomit. Moving makes it worse. And the pain crawls up the back of your head reaching the top where a creature of some sort seems to be pounding with a sledge hammer. It spreads to your forehead which feels like it is expanding like a balloon filled with helium and your eyes feel like they may pop out of your head at any moment (are those hat pins you feel sticking in them). Then the pain centers for a moment in your temples (did someone shove an ice pick in there) and crawls back to the neck area to begin its travel once more.”

What I have just described is a typical migraine. Are they real? Definitely! Migraine sufferers lose their ability to function during a migraine. They can’t think, they can’t read, they can’t drive, they can’t eat, and they can’t even carry on a conversation. Migraines are so debilitating to a migraine sufferer that they are unable to move or even open their eyes without severe pain. Migraines were once considered to be an excuse or a result of stress or excess worry. Although migraines are still vastly misunderstood, many researches and physicians are beginning to recognize that migraines do exist and that they can be debilitating.

• Migraines are a chronic neurological disorder characterized by moderate to severe headaches, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound.
• Migraines affect women more than men.
• Migraines are now recognized by many as a debilitating condition that can be disabling for the sufferer during an acute attack.
• Migraines can be caused by foods such as fish, chocolate or items with MSG.
• Migraines can be caused by eating cheese or nuts.
• Migraines can be caused by rapid changes in barometric pressure.
• Migraines are caused when a trigger causes vasodilatation (widening of the vessels) in the cranial blood vessels which triggers nerve endings to release neurotransmitters containing 5-HTT which is an important factor in the development of migraines.
• Migraines are genetic, being passed on from parent to child.
• Migraines can be caused by the onset of a female’s menstrual cycle.
• Migraines can be caused by bright light, chemical smells, and/or second-hand smoke.
• Migraines can be life threatening causing possible stroke and coma as well as aneurysms, vision loss, dental issues and death.
• Migraines can be triggered by too much sleep or a lack of sleep.
• Many strokes suffered by persons under the age of 45 are actually caused by migraines (27%).
• Migraines can last anywhere from hours to weeks.
• Migraines can have controllable triggers as well as uncontrollable triggers.
• Migraines can come without warning.
• Migraine sufferers can suffer from ‘cluster migraines’ which means that they might get one migraine cleared up only to immediately suffer with another one.

Migraines were once considered to be nothing more than an after affect of alcohol or the result of someone being unable to accept the reality of life (stress, nerves, worry). Although some alcohols can trigger a migraine, it is the affect of the alcohol on the blood flow and not because a person is an alcoholic or has overindulged in alcohol. Migraine sufferers don’t just have a headache they also suffer from visual issues, nausea, weakness of limbs, breathing issues (on occasion), difficulty focusing and difficulty with major motor skills. When a person suffers from a migraine, it is because the blood vessels in the brain have expanded and are putting pressure on the nerves that surround and infiltrate the brain tissues. When this happens the vessels can swell to the point of rupture, causing death by aneurysm.

Some people have symptoms which warn them that a migraine is on the way. These can be bright sparkles of light in the eyes, bright splashes of light that obliterate vision for a second or two, auras around items that they look at, sudden unexplained nausea or weakness in limbs, and/or pain in brightly lit areas. Migraine sufferers often wear sunglasses inside because even weak light causes pain. Migraine sufferers can’t stand loud noises and will often experience intense ringing in the ears just before a migraine.

Migraines are often misunderstood and misdiagnosed which causes over-medication issues and further health issues. Health care officials and emergency room personnel will often turn migraine sufferers away because they feel they are simply looking to receive drugs. People with migraines are usually considered to be ‘faking’ it because they have a bit of a headache. Migraines sufferers often lose jobs due to excess absenteeism. Young migraine sufferers can lose their opportunity to graduate because of loss of time at school due to migraines. Migraines are not yet listed in the Federal Regulations of “Listing of Impairments” which means it has not yet been identified as an ‘official’ illness. This means that many health insurance carriers will not cover any treatment or medications for migraines.

Migraines are real, migraines are debilitating, and migraines are dangerous; however migraines are still not recognized as an illness or disease. Migraines cause job loss, accidents, medical issues including stroke and death, and migraines affect the young, the old, and any age in-between. If you suffer from migraines that have not been diagnosed, record anything and everything you can remember about each episode and bring the information to your doctor. That includes what you ate just before, where you were, what you smelled, what you saw, how painful the headache was, where it was located (even if it seems to be the entire head note that), how long it lasted, and whether or not you could still function. With a diary of each episode, you doctor will have a better understanding of what you are suffering. And if you doctor will not recognize the symptoms, ask to see a neurologist who specializes in migraines. They will be able to tell you if you are suffering from migraines, stress, etc. and can help you treat whatever it is you are suffering.