WHAT IS MIGRAINE?
Migraines are a type of headache characterized by recurring throbbing attacks on one side of the head, caused by changes in chemical reactions in the brain's blood vessels. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine triggers are often the use of certain medications, alcohol consumption, especially red wine, excessive caffeine intake, stress, bright light, noise, and sleep problems.
Migraine attacks can occur once or twice a year or multiple times a month. Most migraine headaches are very severe. Migraine sufferers often struggle to complete daily tasks due to the accompanying factors. However, a thorough diagnosis of migraine requires a long process and careful consultation with a specialist.
MIGRAINE SYMPTOMS
People with migraine experience headaches along with increased sensitivity to light, sound, smell, movement and heat, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, vision changes such as seeing blurry, sparkling and geometric shapes, loss of appetite or desire to eat, mood changes and thirst.
The symptoms generally encountered in migraine types are as follows:
- Throbbing headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sensitivity to sounds such as light and noise
- Dizziness, fainting, and altered level of consciousness
- ringing in the ears
- Slurred speech
- Blurred vision and difficulty seeing
- Mood swings such as depression
- Fatigue and low energy
- Numbness in hands and feet
- Food cravings
- Difficulty in speaking
Because increased sensitivity to light and sound occurs during a migraine attack, exposure to these can increase the intensity of the pain. People with migraines also have increased sensitivity to smells, so scents like perfume can cause nausea and vomiting.
The period immediately preceding a migraine headache is called an "aura." A migraine aura occurs before the pain begins or during the initial stages of its development. It is short-lived, lasting between 10 and 30 minutes, but usually lasts 20 minutes.
Visual aura: Patients describe flickering lights.
Sensory aura: The sensory aura of migraine is in the form of numbness and tingling in the hands and tongue or in the mouth and jaw.
What Causes Migraine?
Genetic factors are the primary cause of migraines. If there's a family history of migraines, the likelihood of developing them is % 40. A person with both parents suffering from migraines has a % 75% chance of experiencing migraines. Hormonal changes are another cause of migraine headaches. Therefore, migraines are most common in women. Migraine attacks, which are three times more common in women than in men, can increase in intensity, especially during menstruation, due to hormonal changes. An increase in severe headaches during menstruation can also be linked to migraines. Nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound may also occur. The pain is usually unilateral, intense, and throbbing.
