Friday, June 25, 2010

~ M.I.G.R.A.I.N.E. ~

I just hate it when its come...so much painful..cant do anything..just thinking of my bed..wanna go to sleep rite now..huhuhu....nah..i found this in a website..its about migraine..very useful..happy reading.. ^_^ (still in pain rite now..huhu..)

~ What Is Migraine? What Causes Migraines?

A migraine is a severe, painful headache that is often preceded or accompanied by sensory warning signs such as flashes of light, blind spots, tingling in the arms and legs, nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light and sound. The excruciating pain that migraines bring can last for hours or even days.

Migraine headaches result from a combination of blood vessel enlargement and the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around these blood vessels. During the headache, an artery enlarges that is located on the outside of the skull just under the skin of the temple (temporal artery). This causes a release of chemicals that cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery.

A migraine headache causes the sympathetic nervous system to respond with feelings of nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. This response also delays the emptying of the stomach into the small intestine (affecting food absorption), decreases blood circulation (leading to cold hands and feet), and increases sensitivity to light and sound.

More than 28 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches, and females are much more likely to get them than males.

~ What causes migraines?

Some people who suffer from migraines can clearly identify triggers or factors that cause the headaches, but many cannot. Potential migraine triggers include:
  • Allergies and allergic reactions

  • Bright lights, loud noises, and certain odors or perfumes

  • Physical or emotional stress

  • Changes in sleep patterns or irregular sleep

  • Smoking or exposure to smoke

  • Skipping meals or fasting

  • Alcohol

  • Menstrual cycle fluctuations, birth control pills, hormone fluctuations during menopause onset

  • Tension headaches

  • Foods containing tyramine (red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and some beans), monosodium glutamate (MSG), or nitrates (like bacon, hot dogs, and salami)

  • Other foods such as chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, avocado, banana, citrus, onions, dairy products, and fermented or pickled foods.
Triggers do not always cause migraines, and avoiding triggers does not always prevent migraines.

~ What are the symptoms of migraine?

Symptoms of migraine can occur a while before the headache, immediately before the headache, during the headache, and after the headache. Although not all migraines are the same, typical symptoms include:
  • Moderate to severe pain, usually confined to one side of the head, but switching in successive migraines
  • Pulsing and throbbing head pain
  • Increasing pain during physical activity
  • Inability to perform regular activities due to pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Increased sensitivity to light and sound
Many people experience migraines with auras just before or during the head pain, but most do not. Auras are perceptual disturbances such as confusing thoughts or experiences and the perception of strange lights, sparkling or flashing lights, lines in the visual field, blind spots, pins and needles in an arm or leg, or unpleasant smells.