Cause of Migraines

About migraine

Migraine affects about 15 in every 100 people in the UK and is most common in adults aged between 20 and 50. However, migraines may start in childhood and persist into old age. About eight in 10 people who have migraines have a family history of them.

People who get migraines are completely symptom-free between attacks and have an average of around 13 migraines per year.

Types of migraine

The most common types of migraine are classic migraine (migraine with aura) and common migraine (migraine without aura). Other types of migraine include aura without headache and abdominal migraine.

Symptoms of migraine

You may be able to sense when a migraine attack is about to start. Irritability, lack of concentration, food cravings and tiredness can all alert you that you’re getting a migraine.

Classic migraine

Around one in 10 people have aura with their migraines. Aura symptoms usually last less than an hour and begin before the headache symptoms (which are the same as for common migraine).

Common aura symptoms include visual disturbances (such as flashing/flickering lights, zigzag lines and even temporary blindness), numbness, tingling sensations and slurred speech. Other aura symptoms include a stiff neck, weakness on one side, partial paralysis, confusion or fainting.

Common migraine

A common migraine causes a persistent and severe throbbing or pounding pain, usually on one side of your head (although there may be pressure on both sides). You may also become sensitive to light, sound and movement and you may feel sick, vomit and/or have diarrhoea. An attack usually lasts between four and 72 hours but you may feel tired for several days afterwards.

These symptoms may be caused by problems other than migraines. You should visit your GP for advice.

It’s particularly important that you see your GP if you have any of the following.

• A sudden change in the character of your migraine such as attacks coming more frequently, or treatment not working.
• Your first migraine occurs when you’re over 50.
• Aura symptoms between attacks or which occur on the same side of your body with every attack.
• A fever with the headache.

Complications of migraine

Occasionally, migraines can last for much longer than 72 hours and don’t respond to standard treatment. This type of migraine is known as status migrainosus, and you may need to go to hospital for pain relief and to treat dehydration caused by vomiting.

If you have migraines on more than 15 days per month, this is known as chronic migraine. People with chronic migraine often have to take increasing amounts of medication to control their migraines. In turn, this can lead to further headaches, known as medication-overuse headaches (also called rebound or withdrawal headaches).

Migraine has also been found to be associated with an increased risk of anxiety and panic disorder, depression and stroke (where the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked).

Causes of migraine

It’s thought that migraine symptoms occur when there is a sudden change in the level of a chemical in the brain (a neurotransmitter) called serotonin. This then affects other neurotransmitters and causes changes in the blood vessels in the brain. It’s not yet known exactly what causes the serotonin levels to change.

You may find that your migraines are caused by specific foods or drinks, by exposure to particular noises, smells or lights, or by other identifiable triggers. Steering clear of these triggers can help to prevent migraines from occurring.

Hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle or as a result of taking oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, pregnancy and menopause can all affect the frequency and severity of migraines in some women.

Migraines are more common in people with depression, and depression is more common in people who have migraines. Researchers are investigating whether treating depression can help relieve migraines and vice versa.

To see this full article go to BUPA / Migraine

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7 Things You Should Know About Optical Migraines

Sometime in our lives, we experience headaches that come and go and are often so severe that our daily routines are affected. Oftentimes, when these headaches occur, we also experience some form of visual changes. Then we say, ‘It’s probably just a migraine.’

You can get help without medication – check this out

1. What is a migraine?
Migraine is a recurrent type of headache that is severely painful and usually occurs only on one side of the head. An aura occurs right before one of these attacks. An aura could be manifested as visual flashes or spots or even ringing in the ears which is opposite of the side where the headache is about to occur. The migraine attack may also come with symptoms of dizziness, vomiting, nausea and double vision.

2. What is an optical migraine?
As opposed to a real migraine, an optical migraine also involves an aura that comes before a migraine attack, but there is the absence of pain. This is rarer than the migraine that comes with severe pain. It is also know as acephalgic migraine or visual or ocular migraine. It is a migraine aura unaccompanied by headache.

The visual disturbances that are experienced are flashing lights that look like zigzag or ‘fortress-like’ lights. These auras usually begin as small visual marches crossing the field of vision that slowly fades away. Attacks like these last for several minutes to almost an hour.

If it will come with a headache, the pain will follow in an hour. An optical migraine can also be experienced as a blind spot in the field of vision.

3. How sure am I that I am experiencing an optical migraine?
Migraines are usually diagnosed if the same symptoms are experiences over and over in many years. It is optical migraine if the same aura is experienced. In case there is a change in the visual pattern, it might be something more serious. A doctor should be consulted in this case.

4. What could be the cause of these migraines?
The cause for migraine is not yet confirmed, it has remained unknown. However, there have been theories that these headaches are caused by allergies, temporary edema of the brain and even endocrine disturbances. One thing is for sure, it is due to disturbance in the blood circulation in the brain. It has been proven that the pain is associated with the narrowing of blood vessels in the brain followed by dilation.

5. What could be more serious causes of headaches if they are not migraines?
Not all headaches are migraines and not all visual disturbances are caused by migraines. There could be more serious causes that may force you to consult a doctor. Visual changes can also be caused by partial seizures, a retina in the eye could have been detached, a ‘mini-stroke’ or a transient ischemic attack, multiple sclerosis or even a brain tumor.

6. Who is more likely to get an optical migraine?
Optical migraines are usually experienced by more women than men at a ratio of 3:1. This is an illness that is usually inherited.

7. What is the common treatment for optical migraines?
Sedatives and aspirin are common medications prescribed to patients with this illness. Resting or sleeping in a dark room usually relieves the symptoms. However, if the aural migraine is accompanied by severe headache, injection of triptans or ingestion or nasal spraying of the same drug gives relief. Beta-blockers, antidepressants and antiepileptic drugs are also effective for most patients.

It is important to recognize the aura that comes before the headache so that medication can be taken before the actual attack. This will prevent the pain from setting in. Biofeedback has been proven to be a good type of therapy for patients who get these attacks.

Having all these in mind, you would now know if you are experiencing an ordinary headache or a true-blue migraine. Now, you could also determine if those weird visual disturbances are auras previous to a migraine attack or if it is an optical migraine.

What is important here is for you to recognize the symptoms that go with the headache. Observation is the key. You must recognize the tell-tale sign that you are about to get a full-blown attack of a migraine or if you should seek medical help because it is a sign of something more serious. Never take these headaches for granted, they could mean your life.

By: nathfiset

For more information now go to: www.byebyemigraine.com www.myalpha-power.com.com or www.aperfectharmony.com

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Wheat As A Migraine Trigger

Several case studies have linked food intolerance and migraine; this article is one in a series which takes a closer look at some of the foods less commonly suspected when a food sensitivity is thought to be at the root of a migraine problem.

Most people think first of red wine, chocolate and cheese as the most common foods that will cause a migraine. As long ago as 1979 the prestigious Lancet journal published research on migraine and food intolerances, finding wheat to be the most common trigger of migraine(1).

In fact wheat has recently been linked to a flurry of other health problems ranging from fatigue to bloating.

Wheat is a major allergen, with approximately 78% of migraine sufferers being linked to food intolerance, with wheat being identified as the main trigger(1). This may be unrecognized for a long time, because wheat is so prevalent in foods, that cutting it out completely is extremely difficult and involves detailed scrutiny of labels for unsuspected sources. Consult your health professional for detailed advice, failure to do so may otherwise expose yourself to considerable suffering, by unwittingly still consuming wheat-containing food or drinks.

Some maintain that claiming allergy to wheat is an affectation, citing the desire to follow celebrities such as Rachel Weisz who has been public about her wheat intolerance. Many others, however, simply point to the incredible obstacles that face those who would cut wheat and gluten out of their diet, and ask what person would struggle to surmount them if there was no real benefit.

Many migraine sufferers are thought to be suffer from celiac disease, a severe wheat and gluten intolerance that causes serious gastrointestinal problems and fatigue. One of the most frustrating aspects to migraines is the inability to stop them once they gain control, so any form of prevention is always welcome.

In a study done at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italy, researchers discovered a marked improvement in migraines among celiac patients when placed on a gluten free diet, leading some to speculate that a large percentage of migraine patients do in fact have celiac disease(2).

Other links between wheat intolerance and migraines have been studied, and in at least one case, nine out of ten patients experienced relief from headaches; whilst the tenth refused to eliminate gluten from their diet(3).

Some sufferers opt to become vegan in order to improve their diet and remove the foods to which they have a sensitivity. While a significant number of them cease having headaches shortly after beginning a vegan lifestyle, others have a sharp increase in the number and severity of headaches.

The Coeliac society has several forums and many reports of first hand experiences of vegans who discovered they had celiac disease causing various health problems, as many vegans depend on wheat/soy products to replace the protein they would normally gain from meat and dairy. For some people who were consuming a large amount of wheat, to replace proteins and carbohydrates they were missing out on by avoiding dairy and meat, had in fact triggered gluten intolerance. With the the large amounts of gluten eliminated from the diet, the migraines ceased(4).

Based on this information, it appears more than likely that wheat and gluten are responsible for triggering a migraine, subsequently, a trial abstinence period would be an effective way to prove this. (5).

Sources:
(1) Grant ECG, Food, Allergies and Migraine, Lancet, May 5 1979;966-969
(2) Am J Gastroenterol. 2003 Jul;98(7):1674; March edition of American Journal of Gastroenterology.
(3) American Academy of Neurology (2001, February 14); Gluten In The Diet May Be The Cause Of Recurring Headaches; Science Daily.
(4) The Celiac Society, The Gluten-free Vegan
(5) Celiac Disease, A Hidden Epidemic, Peter Green, MD.

Research by Grace-Alexander

By: Joy Healey

Joy Healey qualified in 2000 as a nutritionist at the acknowledged Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London; with her dissertation topic being migraine. Check out://www.natural-migraine-alternatives.com for immediate receipt of an e.book full of further recommendations for natural, alternatives and approaches to treat and prevent migraine. Keep up-to-date with new information on migraine at: natural-migraine-alternatives.blogspot.com

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