Migraine Symptoms & Causes
“Migraine is a highly disruptive condition. 91% of migraine patients reported functional impairment with their headaches. 51% reported that work or school productivity was reduced by at least 50%.”
So how do you know if you're experiencing a regular headache or a true migraine? Although every migraine sufferer is unique and not everyone has all the same symptoms, people describe feeling similar symptoms before, during, and after a migraine attack.
The Cause Of Migraine Pain
While the exact cause of migraines is not known, there is evidence to suggest that a series of events – often called a migraine cascade – begins with certain nerve cells in the brain. Researchers believe, that in people who have migraines, these nerve cells may be prone to overexcitation.
Although nerve cells can become excited for no apparent reason, the migraine cascade can also be started by a particular event, called a migraine "trigger." Common migraine triggers include changes in sleep habits, stress and the letdown after stress, flashing lights, strong odors, weather, and other common factors.
Activity in overexcited nerve cells affects specific blood vessels around the brain. These blood vessels become inflamed, resulting in migraine pain. Once the migraine cascade begins, the results – inflamed blood vessels, throbbing headache, nausea, and other symptoms, can last for hours or even days.
What are the symptoms of migraine?
Symptoms before a migraine - Can last 8-10 hours
- Mood changes
- Tiredness
- Yawning
- Craving sweets
- Feeling off balance
Symptoms during a migraine - Can last 4 - 72 hours
- Throbbing pain
- Nausea/vomiting
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Difficulty functioning in daily activities
Symptoms after a migraine - Can last 25 hours
- Lingering headache
- Tiredness
In between migraine attacks - Can be ongoing
- Thinking about when the next migraine will strike
- Having to change plans or make contingency plans
- Avoiding certain foods, environments, noise levels, and other migraine triggers
Compare these symptoms with your own. Sharing your symptoms with your healthcare professional will help identify if you are, in fact, experiencing migraines.
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What triggers migraine?
Different people respond to different migraine triggers, but the most common include:
- Dietary factors (irregular meal patterns, missing meals, eating sweets or starchy foods, too much caffeine)
- Sleep disturbances (irregular sleep patterns, too much or too little sleep)
- Emotional factors (excitement, anger, fear, anxiety, stress letdown)
- Environmental factors (weather changes, bright or glaring lights, loud noise, strong odors)
- Alcohol (wine, champagne, beer, liquors)
- Food additives (MSG and nitrites that are found in pepperoni, luncheon meats, and hot dogs)
- Hormone cycles or changes (menstruation, oral contraceptives, estrogen replacement)
How do migraines happen?
No one knows exactly why migraines happen, but it's thought that a series of events begins with the excitement of nerve cells in the brain. These overexcitable nerve cells then send out impulses to the blood vessels in the brain. The nerve releases substances that cause inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels resulting in pain and throbbing.
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