What is migraine?
A migraine is a very painful type of headache. Each time there is a migraine attack, it might last between 4 hours to 3 days. People who get migraines often describe the pain as pulsing or throbbing in one area of the head. The pain can also be exacerbated by exercise. During migraines, people are likely to be sensitive to light and sound. Nausea and/ or vomiting are common symptoms.
Migraine is three times more common in women than in men. Some people can tell when they are about to have a migraine because they see flashing lights or zigzag lines or they temporarily lose their vision. Many things can trigger a migraine, such as anxiety, stress, poor sleep, and hormone changes (in women).
What causes migraine?
There is no definite conclusions about the cause of migraine headaches. However, there is a strong hereditary factor relating to patients with migraine headaches.
Our research supports the view that migraine headache is a disease.
In severe cases, it can lead to serious diability and even stroke in younger patients.
There is usually inflammation occuring in the arteries , triggering arterial spasm and so causing lack of blood supply to certain part of the brain. This creates the "aura" or numbness, blurred vision, flashing lights, and quickly followed by rapid dilatation of the artery. It is the dilating of the artery that causes the severe pain associated with migraine headaches. Not every one experiences an "aura" but approximately 50% of the patients will.
A migraine is a very painful type of headache. Each time there is a migraine attack, it might last between 4 hours to 3 days. People who get migraines often describe the pain as pulsing or throbbing in one area of the head. The pain can also be exacerbated by exercise. During migraines, people are likely to be sensitive to light and sound. Nausea and/ or vomiting are common symptoms.
Migraine is three times more common in women than in men. Some people can tell when they are about to have a migraine because they see flashing lights or zigzag lines or they temporarily lose their vision. Many things can trigger a migraine, such as anxiety, stress, poor sleep, and hormone changes (in women).
What causes migraine?
There is no definite conclusions about the cause of migraine headaches. However, there is a strong hereditary factor relating to patients with migraine headaches.
Our research supports the view that migraine headache is a disease.
In severe cases, it can lead to serious diability and even stroke in younger patients.
There is usually inflammation occuring in the arteries , triggering arterial spasm and so causing lack of blood supply to certain part of the brain. This creates the "aura" or numbness, blurred vision, flashing lights, and quickly followed by rapid dilatation of the artery. It is the dilating of the artery that causes the severe pain associated with migraine headaches. Not every one experiences an "aura" but approximately 50% of the patients will.
