Migraine Attacks

About 1 out of 8 people has migraines. They usually begin during the teenage years. After puberty, migraines are more likely to attacks girls and women. Experts still aren't sure what causes these headaches. But they seem to involve a wave of unusual activity in brain nerve cells, along with changes in blood flow in the brain.

Though migraines can trigger severe pain in the head, they aren't simply headaches. They often also cause other uncomfortable symptoms, such as: 

• Nausea 
• Vomiting 
• Unusual sensitivity to light, noises, and smells 

Nausea and Vomitting

A migraine episode can be a complicated event, with symptoms that change over hours or even days. Migraines tend to progress through several stages: 

1. Prodromal phase before the migraine 
2. Aura phase 
3. Attack phase 
4. Postdromal phase after the migraine 

Prodromal Phase: Early Warning Signs

Several hours before the migraine begins -- and sometimes even the day before -- many people with migraines notice unusual sensations. They may feel: 

• Either unusually energetic and excitable or depressed 
• Irritable 
• Thirsty 
• Cravings for certain foods 
• Sleepy, with frequent yawning 
• Need to urinate more 

Frequent Yawning

In some cases, these symptoms before the headache can help health care providers diagnose the problem as migraines.

Aura Phase: Strange Sensations Arise

About 1 in 5 people with migraine develop an "aura" that begins before the headache or starts along with it. An aura may not occur with every headache. An aura can include:

Changes in vision. 

Often visual symptoms begin first during the aura phase. During a migraine you may experience these vision changes

A flickering, jagged arc of light. 

This may take a complicated shape. It usually appears on the left or right side of your vision. Over a few minutes, it may spread in size. 

An area of vision loss. 

This problem -- combined with the flickering lights -- can make driving or focusing your eyes on small objects difficult. 

"See" images from the past or hallucinations. 

Changes in vision of Migraine Patient

These symptoms may continue to grow more severe over the next several minutes.

Skin sensations. 

This part of the aura may cause tingling or "pins and needles" sensations in the body. It may also cause numbness. These feelings often affect the face and hands but can spread out across the body. The sensations may continue to expand over the next several minutes.

Language problems. 

During the aura phase of a migraine, you may have trouble communicating with others. Symptoms may include:

• Difficulty expressing thoughts while speaking or writing 
• Trouble understanding spoken or written words 
• Confusion 
• Trouble concentrating.

Attack Phase: The Headache Begins

The attack portion of a migraine episode can last for a few hours to several days. During this phase of the migraine, the person usually wants to rest quietly and finds normal activities difficult.

The Attack of Migraine

A defining quality of migraines is their pain. The pain of a migraine: 

• Usually begins at the area above the eyes 
• Typically affects only one side of the head, but it may strike the entire head or move from one side to the other. It may also affect the lower face and the neck. 
• Tends to have a throbbing intensity 
• May throb worse during physical activity or when you lean forward 
• May get worse if you become physically active 

Other symptoms that may arise during this phase include:

• Unusual sensitivity to light, sounds, and smells 
• Light-headed and fainting
• Nausea and vomiting 

Postdromal Phase: After the Storm

Following the most severe phase of the migraine, you may not feel well for up to a day. Symptoms of this post-migraine phase may include: 

• Extreme tiredness 
• Sluggishness 
• Confusion 
• Head pain that flares up when you lean over, move quickly, or experience a rush of blood to the head 

Your overall experience with migraines may change over time. They can change in frequency or severity, and attacks may not always include all of these stages. Also, you may eventually develop the migraine aura without actually having a headache.

Feeling tired and sluggish

Making the Decision

You may want to consider medicine to prevent migraines if you: 

• Having severe pain that interferes with your life despite treatment. 
• Get at least three moderate-to-severe headaches per month. 
• Take a lot of painkillers. 
• Can't get enough relief from drugs you now taking. 
• Have side effects from your headache drugs. 
• Have uncommon migraine conditions like continuing aura (blurred vision or seeing spots or wavy lines). 

If you have severe migraines, though, your doctor may suggest first trying a non-drug treatment such as biofeedback, relaxation therapy, or stress-management training. He may also recommend a preventive drug that has the lowest risk possible.

Preventive medicine might not be right for you if: 

• Your headaches are controlled by anti-inflammatory like naproxen and ibuprofen. 
• Other health conditions keep you from taking preventive drugs. 
• There could be bad interactions with other medicines you take. 
• You prefer treatments that don't involve drugs 

Talk to your doctor about your thoughts on taking preventive medications for migraines. Together, you can decide the best approach for your headache problems.

For more health info and promotions, please follow us on Facebook- Wellness Lab

Download Wellness Lab Mobile App now for more promotions 

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!