About Headaches

If you suffer form very painful headaches and have done so since you were young, the chances are you may suffer from migraines which are often experienced by other members of a family group. Left untreated, an attack can force the person to have bed rest but normally the intense pain starts to subside within a few hours. Once the attack is over, the victim will still feel exhausted and not able to do much for some time.

Some people are more fortunate than others and may only have a couple of attacks per year whilst others have one or more every month. A number of the symptoms associated with this condition resemble those seen in people with other common complaints. Migraine is most prevalent in people between the ages of ten to forty years old; almost no cases are recorded after the age of 50.

It is not uncommon for a number of family members to share a migraine headache problem and hereditary links are believed to exist; even though there may be a link, so far it has eluded medical science. Sufferers may acquire sensitivity to a medical condition that brings about inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves near the brain, resulting to pain. Science cannot as yet explain why this condition is more likely to affect women than men but women have a three times greater chance of having the condition than men; only one in twelve men will experience an attack in their lives.

One of the signs - migraine with aura, is characterized by an unusual sensation (aura) that is in occurrence 10 to 30 minutes prior to the head pain. There are many warning indicators of the attack:

• Queasiness
• Enlarged blind spots
• Strange sounds or smell
• Lack of sensation in the person's tongue

other symptoms exist but these appear to common with most people. Migraine sufferers who do not have any warning are said to have attack without aura but still suffer extreme pain; this condition can escalate and is made worse by any movement, loud noises and bright lights which can cause the person to vomit.

Science is still trying to discover the reason for migraines and why some people are more susceptible to the condition than others although one theory has suggested that contracted blood vessels in the brain may be the cause. Some suggest that it is the rapid expansion after this narrowing that causes the awful headaches; it can actually incapacitate the victim so they cannot perform even routine tasks. As there are so many situations that could trigger an attack, only a few are listed here:

• Weather patterns
• Certain foods
• High altitude
• Particular drinks
• Powerful bright lighting
• Not enough food
• Tension

It is therefore a good idea for the victim to see if there is a pattern to the attacks which could then make it easier to avoid them.