5 factors that increase the risks of migraine headaches

Migraine headaches are common types of headaches in these days that propel patients to seek medical treatment from migraine specialists.

Migraine headaches vary from person to person, and it lasts from 4 hours to 72 hours. Some people get this attack often, while others get it less frequently. There are many migraine sufferers who have reported that they experience pulsating or throbbing pain starting from one side of the head to all over, high sensitivity to light, vomiting, sound and blurred vision.

On the other hand, one in five migraine sufferers has reported that they experience sensory disturbance or an aura before the arrival of the attack. The examples of an aura are – loss of vision, zigzag lines, high-sensitivity to lights, speech problem, etc.

Here, in this article, you will come to know about 5 factors that increase the risks of migraine headaches. Let’s have a look at them –

Factors that increase the risks of migraine headaches

1. Age

This is the prime factor that affects people belonging to the age group of 15 to 55. Some people even get their first attack at the age of 40.

2. Family history

It has been observed that a significant number of migraine sufferers have experienced migraine attacks because of their family history. A person who has one or more relatives with migraine headaches, his chances of getting migraine attack increases substantially.

3. Medical conditions

Certain medical conditions like stroke, anxiety, depression, epilepsy and high blood pressure may also cause migraine headaches.

4. Gender

According to the reports of doctors, the number of women suffering from migraine is more than men.

5. Hormonal changes

Women suffering from migraine often experience the recurrence of headaches just before or after the arrival of headache. The intensity of this headache may also change during menopause or pregnancy.
Migraines are basically vascular headaches where the exact cause is still unknown. There are some researchers who believe that migraine takes place when some abnormal changes occur in the brain. Due to these chemical changes in the brain, inflammation causes blood vessels to swell which ultimately results in pain.

However, the exact causes and triggers of migraine vary from person to person. You, being a normal person cannot identify those particular reasons of migraine. Therefore, it is better to consult with a migraine specialist who holds many years of knowledge in this field. Only he/she can provide you the right medicine so that you can get a fast relief.

A variety of drugs or medicines are used by doctors to manage migraine in patients. Doctors even suggest lifestyle changes which are identified as the main factor to eliminate possible triggers of the attack.

So, if you are getting all these symptoms with headache, don’t wait for too long and consult with a migraine specialist today to get the right treatment at the correct time.

Know the most common causes of migraine

If you are like millions of other people frequently get affected by migraine, then you must know these most common migraine causes. Once you come to know about the causes, you can lead a good and suitable lifestyle. 

Over the years, there are various theories that have been established as to why people get migraine, what are its causes, symptoms, etc. There are many reasons responsible for headache. However, the triggers will not be the same for everyone. Therefore, it is important to mention the most common causes of migraine that have been observed in most of the people. 

Well, it is a common fact that migraine occurs due to disruption in the flow of blood to the brain and cranium, but, the question is why this unnatural disruption takes place. To better identify the reason it is advised to migraine patients to consult a migraine specialist. You cannot find out the exact cause of migraine on your own. Only doctors and health care providers better know what can induce a migraine. Migraine patients should keep a journal to note down migraine causes or triggers such as bright lights, sound, food, etc. this journal will also help you avoiding future migraine attack. 

Find out the most common migraine causes 

Stress

A sudden rise in psychological and physical stress may trigger migraine. It has been observed that a majority of patients report that stress is the main cause of their attack. Some other researchers and migraine specialists have also reported that 50 to 80% of migraine patients reported that stress causes a severe migraine attack. This is the reason that some patients experience migraine after passing a stressful event while some others experience this attack in the mid of a stressful event. 

Jet lag or lack of sleep

Lack of sleep or sleep disturbance is also one of most common migraine causes. Insufficient sleep or jet lag often triggers an acute migraine headache. However, excessive sleep is also regarded as a trigger of migraine. This lack of sleep has been termed as Insomnia that leads to a chronic migraine headache. 

Food Flavours or extracts

The artificial food sweetener or flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate or MSG is another migraine trigger. Researchers have done experiments but ended up with conflicted results. Therefore, the effect of food flavour among migraine patients is still unsolved. MSG is basically used as a flavour enhancer and therefore, it is used in various foods to increase its savoury flavour. However, a recent study conducted on MSG has confirmed that it may trigger serious migraine attack to patients and therefore, migraine patients should avoid taking this additive or flavour. 

Dehydration or hunger

Migraine patients should avoid skipping meals. Migraine specialists say that skipping meals are one of the most common causes of migraine. The link between migraine and hunger is still unsolved, but doctors believe that it is probably related to fall in the glucose level. 

Along with skipping food, dehydration has also been regarded as a possible migraine trigger. When you don’t drink enough water, it will dehydrate your body which ultimately leads to the onset of a headache.

These are the most common migraine causes that most migraine patients have experienced.

Migraine headaches: Causes and various phases of migraines

A migraine is a kind of a headache that occurs only in a specific area of the head, although the area varies from person to person. The sufferer also shows sensitivity towards harsh sound or strong lights. The common symptoms associated with it are sneezing and vomiting that makes one’s life miserable. Generally, headaches due to migraine are more painful than the normal headaches, and it ranges from mild to moderate.

Migraine headaches are more experienced by women than men. Migraine becomes so terrible at times that it can even attack twice or thrice in a week, and the worst part is that; it can be treated to some extent giving you temporary relief but is not curable permanently. Though migraines don’t have any particular time to attack but usually the attack starts early morning.

People usually experience a kind of warning before the onset of pain. It may be feeling of weakness on any particular side of body or trouble in visibility because of the blind spots kind of thing develops in any one eye.


Top 3 things that you must known about migraines

Reasons behind a migraine

Migraine headaches are generally considered to be genetic so next time when you are experiencing terrible pain of migraine, blame your gene for the worst condition. But there are other factors that trigger the pain such as:

1. Lessor too much of sleep.
2. Drinking alcohol.
3. Drinking too much caffeine related beverages like tea, coffee, etc.
4. Food that contain monosodium glutamate which is a kind of flavour enhancer
5. Weather changes.
6. Strong fragrances.

Diagnosis of migraines

Migraine headaches can be easily diagnosed by physicians with its crystal clear symptoms such as the type of pain you experience, the area where exactly you feel the pain, and how often do you feel the pain. Based on these symptoms your physician advises a blood test or other medical examination.

Phases of migraines

Once migraine headache is triggered, it goes through four phases such as:

Early warning signs or prodromal phase 

This phase usually starts few hours before actual attack where a person might feel irritating, thirsty, cravings for any specific food, frequent urination etc.

Strong sensation or the aura phase

This phase is not experienced by many people suffering from migraines attacks. It is experienced by 1 out of 5 people where a person usually feels trouble in vision, a strange sensation like pricking of needles or pins on the skin.

The main attack phase

This is supposed to be one of the most terrific phases of migraines where a person feels just to relax in a quite dark room away from normal activities. It usually begins from above the eyes and get worst as time passes.

After attack or postdromal phase

After the attack the effect may last up to one day where a person feels extremely tired, confused and lethargic.

Migraine can be managed by maintaining good lifestyle like proper sleep, avoid foods that basically triggers the pain and by daily exercise. For more information visit www.mewithoutmigraine.com.

Knowing the common types of headaches – which one do you have?

Headache is a nervous system disorder that can be of different types. It is one of the most recurrent and constant uneasiness that people can experience. For some, it is tolerable and some fail to bear the excruciating and throbbing pain. Depending on the typesof headaches, the treatment plan must be chosen. Some have easy remedies and medicine to get rid of them, and some last for a lifetime.

Whatever type of headache you might have, it is very crucial that yours has been identified properly. Misdiagnosis may worsen the condition or at least prolong the pain, due to no proper support and supply of medicines. According to the World Health Organization, 47% of the adult population has had a headache at least for once within the previous year. Despite this huge number of sufferers, headache is one of the most under-recognised, underestimated as well as undertreated conditions.

Types of headaches:

A disorder of nervous system, a headache is a very disabling and painful feature. There are different types of headaches depending on the cause of its occurrence. Thus, there are the primary headaches that are caused by direct reasons and there are secondary headaches that are side effects or after effects of some other diseases or medication usage. More than 150 different kinds of headaches have been medically categorised. Amongst these, the most common ones are – tension headaches, sinus, migraines, cluster headaches, mixed headache, acute or chronic headaches etc.

• Tension type headache:

It is a non-progressive and chronic daily headache in which mild to moderate pain is felt. This type of pain caused by tension is mostly short-lived.

• Sinus headache:

Sinus pains are also one of the most common types of headaches and affect the forehead, cheekbones and bridge of nose. Nasal discharges, facial swelling, fever etc. are caused by the inflammation of the sinusitis. Sudden head movement can make the pain severe.

• Migraine headache:

Most people mistake their pain as sinus. However, in a 2004 study, it was seen that 80% of the doctor-diagnosed or self-diagnosed sinus headaches were actually migraines and had no signs of sinusitis. What causes migraine has not been understood, but in this case, serotonin levels in brain drops down and neuropeptides travel through the meninges. This causes this excruciating pain that can last for hours to 3 days at a stretch. Many people experience auras such as blind spots, flashes of light and intolerable sensitivity to light and sound, before the actual attack.

• Cluster headache:

One of the rarest of all types of headaches is cluster headache that occurs in only 1% of the entire population. Some even refer to this type as “suicide headache” due to the unbearable pain that the sufferer considers suicide as a better choice. The pain occurs behind the eye and is constantly throbbing. It can attack up to thrice a day and last for two weeks to three months.