Below, you’ll find must-know information about migraine.
Migraine is an intense headache that often affects one side or both sides of the head. It is characterized by extreme throbbing pain or a pulsating feeling in the affected area that can last for 4 to 72 hours.
Migraine headaches can cause excruciating agony for several hours or even days, interfering with your ability to go about your daily life.
It can be dangerous if left untreated or ignored. Frequent migraine headaches can increase the risk of certain heart diseases such as angina and heart attacks. It can also increase the chances of stroke and coronary events.
Migraine headache is a common health disorder that affects one out of every five women and approximately one out of every fifteen males. There are various contributing factors that can trigger a migraine headache.
For starters, hormonal changes can trigger a migraine headache. This explains why women are more prone to getting a migraine headache.
Eating an unhealthy diet that consists of processed meat, aged cheese, caffeine, and alcohol can trigger a migraine headache. Lack of sleep and poor posture can also trigger a migraine headache.
Bright lights, loud noises, potent scents, and changes in temperature can also trigger a migraine headache.
Certain medications can also trigger a migraine headache. Examples of these are sleeping pills.
There are two common types of migraine. These are (1) with aura; and (2) without aura. Aura is a stage of a migraine attack when an individual may see flashes of light or have blind spots.
Ocular migraine is a type of migraine that involves repeated episodes of short-lasting, diminished vision or blindness.
It is worth knowing that a migraine headache comes in four phases. These are prodrome, aura, attack, and post-drome. In some cases, you may not experience all four phases.
Nonetheless, each phase has its own set of symptoms that is worth knowing about.
Here are the various critical migraine headache symptoms and signs you should be aware of.
12. Visual Disturbances
Visual disturbances are common symptoms in the aura phase. These symptoms are characterized by the appearance of bright spots and flashes of bright light brought about by an oscillating current of electrical activity traveling across the visual cortex.
In some cases, these symptoms come before the onset of head pain. When the symptoms occur, you may not even feel any pain.
11. Vision Loss
Vision loss, which is another symptom of the aura phase, is indicative of ocular migraines. This is the type of migraine that is caused by decreased blood flow in the blood vessels of the retina.
Ocular migraines are usually painless. The loss of vision brought about by the condition usually returns in an hour.
10. Mood Swings
Mood swing is another headache symptom in the prodrome phase. Again, this can be attributed to serotonin. This particular chemical is often referred to as the “feel good” chemical. It is responsible for regulating your mood.
A normal serotonin level can make you feel more focused and emotionally stable. Any sudden changes can cause you to have mood swings.
9. Increased Thirst
Increased thirst is another symptom in the prodrome phase. Dehydration can be blamed for this. The loss of fluid causes the brain to contract. It pulls away from the skull, resulting to pain and dehydration.
The thirst area of the brain is stimulated when a person is dehydrated. This can drive you to drink more water. Increased water intake also leads to frequent urination, which is another symptom.
8. Frequent Yawning
Changes in dopamine, a neurotransmitter produced in the brain, cause yawning. Yawning, which is another symptom in the prodrome phase, is a common reflex. It happens when dopamine is low.
Wakefulness is linked to dopamine. When it is low, it causes the body to feel tired. When the body is tired and sleepy, there’s a huge tendency to yawn more.
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