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Headache means "Pain in various parts of the head” In fact, there are several different types of headaches. Some of the causes of headaches are benign while others can be medical emergencies. Headaches rank among the most common pain complaints. A migraine is a severe, painful headache that is often preceded or accompanied by sensory warning signs such as flashes of light, blind spots, tingling in the arms and legs, nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light and sound. A migraine headache can cause intense throbbing or pulsing in one area of the head. Migraine attacks can cause significant pain for hours to days and be so severe that all you can think about is finding a dark, quiet place to lie down. The excruciating pain that migraines bring can last for hours or even days. Migraine headaches often begin in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood.
Distinguishing between different types of headache can be difficult. You can experience different types of headaches at different times of your life for varying reasons. For example, if you have migraine you may also experience other types of headache. Keeping a migraine or headache diary is really useful and can be invaluable in trying to identify a specific headache type.
The most common types of migraine fall into two categories - migraine with aura and migraine without aura.
Aura is a term used to describe a neurological symptom of migraine, most commonly visual disturbances. These can be:
- Blind spots
- Coloured spots
- Sparkles or stars
- Flashing lights before the eyes
- Tunnel vision
- Zig zag lines
- Temporary blindness
- Numbness or tingling
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- A feeling of spinning (vertigo)
Speech and hearing can be affected and some people have reported memory changes, feelings of fear and confusion and, more rarely, partial paralysis or fainting. These neurological symptoms usually happen before the headache itself.
Migraines have well defined stages. Most people experience more than one phase. Not everyone will experience the aura stage and it is possible to have the aura symptoms without the headache. Each phase can vary in length and severity.
The stages are:
- Premonitory Stage
This describes certain physical and mental changes such as tiredness, craving sweet foods, mood changes, feeling thirsty and a stiff neck. These feelings can last from 1 to 24 hours. - Aura Stage
This may last from 5 to 60 minutes. Symptoms may include visual disturbances such as flashing lights or sensory symptoms such as pins and needles. - Main Attack Stage
This consists of head pain and associated features which can typically last anything between 4 and 72 hours. The head pain is typically described as throbbing and one sided. - Resolution and Recovery Stage or Postdrome Stage
Most migraines fade slowly although some can be resolved suddenly by vomiting.
It is these stages and their symptoms which distinguish a migraine from a headache.
Just as with adults, migraine is widespread amongst children and young people. Migraine in children and young people can often go undiagnosed and untreated, which can have negative consequences in terms of children and young people’s well-being and educational attainment. Migraine in children and young people can differ from that found in adults. The migraine attacks are often shorter, will usually involve nausea and in 60% of cases vomiting.
Trigger factors for children and young people include excitement, stress, anxiety and exams.
Around 70% of school children have a headache at least once a year. One in four of these children suffer from recurrent headaches, and about 10% of school children suffer from migraine. Migraine can affect both boys and girls. About half of all migraine sufferers will have had their first attack before their 12th birthday. Parents usually ask if their child will grow out of the condition. There is no simple answer to this question. They may do. One study found that headaches had improved for four out of ten childhood sufferers by the time they were 22 years of age. Up to one quarter of childhood sufferers had outgrown the condition completely. Research suggests that managing childhood migraine effectively may stop young people from becoming frequent or long term sufferers when they become adults.
There is no known cause for migraine, although most people with it are genetically predisposed to migraine. If you are susceptible to migraine there are certain triggers which commonly occur. These include stress, lack of food, alcohol, hormonal changes in women, lack of sleep and the environment. Some people who suffer from migraines can clearly identify triggers or factors that cause the headaches, but many cannot. Potential migraine triggers include:
- Allergies and allergic reactions
- Bright lights, loud noises, and certain odors or perfumes
- Physical or emotional stress
- Changes in sleep patterns or irregular sleep
- Smoking or exposure to smoke
- Skipping meals or fasting
- Alcohol
- Menstrual cycle fluctuations, birth control pills, hormone fluctuations during menopause onset
- Tension headaches
- Foods containing tyramine (red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and some beans), monosodium glutamate (MSG), or nitrates (like bacon, hot dogs, and salami)
- Other foods such as chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, avocado, banana, citrus, onions, dairy products, and fermented or pickled foods.
- Triggers do not always cause migraines, and avoiding triggers does not always prevent migraines.
It may not be easy to identify what is triggering your migraine if your attacks are linked to a number of different things. A trigger may not cause an attack every time, which may confuse the situation even more. Imagine you are a young woman and your triggers are skipping a meal, stress and a change in hormonal levels. If you come home late from a very stressful meeting at work, your period is just about to start, and you go straight to bed without eating a proper meal, you may almost certainly have an attack. If you skipped dinner another time, when the other triggers were not present, you will probably not get a migraine. Many people find that they have long periods of time without a migraine between attacks. During this time, the body seems to be in a less sensitive state, and you may find that even a combination of triggers does not start a migraine. Sometimes triggers can be wrongly identified. For example, at the beginning of an attack, you may experience a craving for sweet things. If you eat some chocolate to satisfy this craving, and then get a headache, you may identify chocolate as one of your triggers. In fact, you were starting to get a migraine before you ate the chocolate. One of the best ways of identifying triggers is to keep a detailed diary.
Trigger factors can influence an attack up to 48 hours before the headache comes on. A migraine diary can help you to look at this period before each attack. You may notice a pattern of possible triggers which are occurring together during this time.
You should try to keep a record of things like:
- when you get up
- what you do (going to work, watching TV)
- where you are (your environment can contain triggers, such as strip lighting)
- what you eat and drink
- when you eat and drink
- when you have bowel movements
- exercising or travel
- your mood
- what the weather is like
- (for women) your menstrual cycle
- if you have a migraine or other headache, its severity and symptoms
- the medications you take and the dosage anything you can think of that is a changing part of your lifestyle
The timing of your attacks may also help you to identify your triggers. For example, if you suffer at weekends, your headache may be triggered by caffeine withdrawal due to drinking fewer cups of tea or coffee at home than at works. Winding down at the weekend after a stressful week at work can also bring on attacks. Some sufferers find that too much sleep at the weekends can trigger an attack.
If your migraine attacks are triggered by a single thing that is easy to avoid, you may be able to stop most of your attacks from happening. It may be harder to avoid attacks that are triggered by a combination of factors. It is important to be clear about what you expect to achieve from a routine for managing migraine, and that what you expect is realistic. For example, aiming to reduce how often the headaches happen may be realistic, but wishing for a life without headaches may not be. A realistic goal will give you something to aim for. You should not feel bad, or guilty, if you cannot control all your attacks by avoiding triggers. Many sufferers require other management methods to bring their condition under control.
The most commonly-used treatment for migraines comes in the form of over-the-counter medication such as aspirin and non-prescription NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like Advil and Aleve. These are effective when taken immediately as you sense a migraine coming. These drugs can be effective as a short term relief to those experiencing migraines sporadically. Pain killers, however, like all other drugs, have negative side effects and can be harmful to your health if administered consistently.
The activity of the human brain is electromagnetic by nature. If you connect your brain an EEG (Electroencephalograph) for a day, it will display the phenomenon that the frequencies generated by the brain vary according to the state in which the body and mind is operating. For instance, in a state of total relaxation, the brain operates at a frequency ranging between 7 and13 Hz (Alpha), while in a state of active thinking and concentration, the brain's frequency rises to 13-40 Hz (Beta). Since an alpha state corresponds to a state of relaxation, we can assume that stress, being a common cause of migraine headaches, manifests within the higher frequency ranges. With the use of brain entrainment audio, it is possible to entrain your brainwaves from a Beta frequency down to Alpha or even Delta (-4 Hz), so as to eliminate that painful throbbing sensation. Thus you would be able to concentrate on your work or study without suffering from constant pain. Brain entrainment comes with such a wide scope of functions that people, once have tried it in one area, often end up exploring its use in other areas, such as sleep induction, creativity enhancement and weight loss etc. Powerurmind Technique uses this amazing tool apart from other behavior modification therapies (Psychological support; cognitive behavioural therapy, problem-solving and coping skills that can be used to handle migraine triggers; reduce stress: brain entrainment for mental and physical relaxation.)
Brain entrainment has helped countless people to relieve pain, and it stands out as one of the best natural migraine cures know to men. The comprehensive description of brain wave entrainment technology is available on request.
There are two big advantages of using the brain entrainment audio, over medication. First, it is cheaper in the long run. And second, it will not have any negative effects on your health.
Changing your lifestyle can be difficult, for a number of reasons:
- Routines can be hard to break,
- Other people may be involved, so changes are more difficult to arrange
- Major changes may be necessary, which take time, effort and support
However, if you are able to make changes given below, you may find they lead to major improvements in your quality of life.
- Avoid overstimulation of senses: avoid using fluorescent lights. Have your sunglasses handy on sunning days. Steer clear of fragranced soaps and beauty products.10, 11
- Keep a diary: write down what you ate, drank or did, as well as what was going on before your attack. Identifying your triggers means you can take steps to avoid them.10, 11
- Eat and drink regularly: dieting or fasting can bring on an attack. Having your meals at regular times each day may reduce the chance of a migraine. Eating high protein meals can reduce migraine attacks.9, 10
- Follow a regular sleep routine: try going to bed and awakening at the same time each day. Get enough sleep–but don’t oversleep.10, 11
- Exercise: go jogging or join a gym. Keeping your body healthy and fit is a great way to reduce migraines.11
- Stop smoking: smoking is a migraine risk factor. One-third of smokers complain that smoking initiates or exacerbates their migraines. The odour of cigarette smoke can also trigger attacks.
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