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Migraines - Not Just a Headache

© Barbara J. Mitchell

According to The National Headache Foundation, some 23 million people in the U.S. suffer from migraines. Need I say that the reaction of many people they meet is a less than sympathetic, "Oh, I'm sorry you have a heache?" Anyone who has migraines can tell you they definitely are not "just a headache."

Women are more likely than men to have migraines, perhaps because of hormonal cycles. However, both sexes have them. Although there are many manifestations of migraine, they are all caused by biochemical changes in the brain which lead to changes in the size of arteries in the head. First the blood vessels constrict, then they expand, and that's when the pain begins.

About one-third of migraine sufferers experience an aura at the beginning of the attack. This may be seen as flashing lights, wavy lines at the periphery of the visual field, even tunnel vision or a blind spot, any of which can be frightening even though usually of short duration. Sense of smell may be temporarily affected and there may be slight speech difficulties, such as slurring or inability to think of a word. These neurological effects then give way to a dull ache and finally throbbing pain, often limited to one side of the head. At this point the migraine victim just wants to hide her head under the covers and forget about the world. There are other rare neurological symptoms which we'll save for another article.

Some unfortunate souls experience migraines every few days, but the number and severity of migraines vary widely from person to person. They may be over in a matter of hours, but the most severe can last up to a week.

Many people believe there is a "migraine type" - perfectionist, over-achiever, critical - and there may be some truth to that. The number of famous people through history who have suffered from migraines makes that theory more likely.

Some famous migraine sufferers - Julius Caesar, both Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant, and some of today's sports stars such as Scottie Pippen, Fred Couples and Terrell Davis.

However, migraines don't just happen during periods of stress and sometimes it's impossible to understand what triggered one. Some foods and beverages are suspected as triggers. Chocolate and red wine top the list, but others include caffeine, alcohol, lack of nourishment, fatigue, and medication that affects blood vessels. You may have migraines after eating Chinese take-out; it's the MSG. Or maybe it's the soy sauce. Or your migraine may be caused by a combination of several factors. You may never figure it out, so you're better off concentrating on other methods of prevention - and that's the topic of our next article.