| It's the very rare person who has never had a | | | | around the same time every month. If that's the case, |
| headache. However, all headaches are not created | | | | and you are a woman, it could be tied in with your |
| equally. There are various forms and one of the most | | | | monthly cycle. |
| painful and difficult to handle is the migraine headache. | | | | A migraine can last for quite a long time...anywhere |
| Migraines are classified as throbbing headaches that | | | | from four to seventy-two hours. It starts with a dull, |
| are felt on only one side of the head. Most migraine | | | | aching pain but then develops to an overwhelming |
| sufferers experience some degree of nausea and | | | | throbbing pain that fluctuates. As mentioned, most |
| even vomiting. They are also sensitive to light and | | | | sufferers are sensitive to light and sound and need to |
| sound and the pain becomes worse with activity. | | | | be in a darkened room. Moving, bending over or |
| Some migraineurs experience sensory disturbances | | | | sudden movement, can make the pain worse. Some |
| (auras) at the beginning of a headache. This might | | | | experience nausea to the extent of vomiting. Other |
| include brightly colored blinking lines, flashes of light, | | | | changes in the body include diarrhea, increased |
| colored dots or black spots. It can also cause a person | | | | urination and a loss of appetite. |
| to see only half of an object. This type of an attack is | | | | While the headache is at its worse, the hands and feet |
| called a 'classical migraine' and the headache usually | | | | can feel extremely cold. However, just before the |
| starts within 10 to 30 minutes of experiencing the aura. | | | | migraine the head might have felt hot. All these |
| This type of headache is experienced by 10 to 15 | | | | temperature changes are thought to be due to |
| percent of all migraineurs. | | | | disturbances taking place in the hypothalamus, which is |
| The other 85 to 90 percent will experience a common | | | | the body's thermostat. |
| migraine (or migraine without aura). These people can | | | | Often people get migraines after a period of intense |
| still have warning signs though, which include a hot | | | | stress has ended, such as on vacation, a weekend or |
| sensation in the head, a feeling of heaviness and a | | | | shortly after meeting a deadline. It is not unusual for the |
| tightening sensation throughout the scalp. These | | | | migraine sufferer to feel completely drained when the |
| warnings can actually appear from a few hours to | | | | migraine is all over. Some report feeling exhausted for |
| even a day before the attack. | | | | days after; yet others feel a sense of renewal and |
| Learning to read your own body warnings and | | | | experience a surge of energy. |
| symptoms can be a very important part of developing | | | | If, after reading this, you believe that the headaches |
| an effective treatment program for your headaches. | | | | you are having are migraines, it is recommended that |
| It's a good idea to keep a little symptom diary so that | | | | you visit your health care provider, as regular |
| you can identify any patterns that might emerge. For | | | | over-the-counter pain medication will do very little to |
| instance, you might find that the migraine comes on | | | | help alleviate your headache. |