How migraines can affect your health- women’s Health
Migraine is practically considered as a medical condition. People
who suffer from migraines get headaches that can be severe. A migraine is
usually an intense pain felt on one, or sometimes, both sides of the head. A
lot of people with migraine headache feel the pain in the temples or behind one
eye or ear. Apart from pain, migraine also can cause vomiting and sensitivity
to light and sound in some people. People who have migraines may also see spots
or flashing lights or have a temporary loss of vision. Migraine headaches can
occur at any time of the day, though it often starts in the morning. The pain
can last a few hours or up to one or two days. Most of the time, migraines are
not a threat to your overall health. But migraine attacks can interfere with
your day-to-day life. It is not yet clearly known what causes migraines, but here
are some things that are more common in people who have them:
Often, migraine affects people between the ages of 15 and 55
Most people have a
family history of migraine
They are more common
in women than men
Migraine often
becomes less severe and less frequent with age
What could be the causes of migraines?
According to e-publications on women’shealth.gov, the exact
cause of migraine is not fully understood yet. Researchers think that migraine
is due to abnormal changes in levels of substances that are naturally produced
in the brain. When the levels of these substances increase, they can cause
inflammation. This inflammation then causes blood vessels in the brain to dilate
and press on nearby nerves, causing pain. Experts do know that people with
migraines react to a variety of factors and events called triggers. These
triggers can vary from person to person and don’t always lead to migraine. A
combination of triggers — not a single thing or event — is more likely to set
off an attack. A person’s response to triggers also can vary from migraine to
migraine. Many women with migraine tend to have attacks triggered by:
Lack of or too much
sleep
Skipped meals
Bright lights, loud
noises, or strong odours
Hormone changes
during the menstrual cycle
Stress and anxiety,
or relaxation after stress
Weather changes
Alcohol
Caffeine
Foods that contain
nitrates, such as hot dogs and lunch meats
Foods that contain
tyramine, such as soy products, hard sausages, and smoked fish
When should one seek help for headaches?
Sometimes, headache
can signal a more serious problem. You
should talk to your physician about your headaches if:
You have several headaches per month and each lasts for
several hours or days
Your headaches disrupt your home, work, or normal life
You have nausea, vomiting, vision, or other sensory problems
(such as numbness or tingling)
You have pain around the eye or ear
You have a severe
headache with a stiff neck
You have a headache
with confusion or loss of alertness
You have a headache
with convulsions
You used to be headache-free, but now have constant
headaches
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