What is Migraine Headache?

A migraine is a headache that often affects one side of the head and can be extremely painful, throbbing, or pulsating. It frequently comes with high sensitivity to light and sound as well as nausea and vomiting. The pain from a migraine attack can be so intense that it interferes with your regular activities and can persist for hours or even days.

A warning sign known as an aura may appear before or concurrently with the headache in some persons. Auras can include speech difficulties, tingling on one side of the face or in an arm or leg, as well as vision problems like light flashes or blind spots.

The most typical type of migraine headache is a migraine, although not all headaches are migraines. It is a headache that normally lasts for two to 72 hours and is frequently accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light or sound. The pain usually has a throbbing quality to it.

How are migraine headaches diagnosed?

Despite their severe symptoms, migraines nearly seldom have an underlying cause that can be detected through testing, including brain MRIs. Even in severe cases, many doctors do not advise brain imaging if the patient’s symptoms are migraine typical and a comprehensive neurological assessment comes back normal.

A single genetic mutation in one of the four known genes that might cause the disorder known as familial hemiplegic migraine can cause migraines in some incredibly uncommon families. For the great majority of patients, there are no available genetic tests.

What are the Risk factors for migraines headaches?

According to the American Migraine Foundation, more than 38 million Americans suffer from headaches. Some factors could increase your risk of contracting them:

Sex: Three times as many women as men experience migraines.

Age: The majority of individuals begin experiencing migraines between the ages of 10 and 40. However, many women discover that after the age of 50, their migraines improve or disappear.

Family background: Four out of five migraine sufferers have relatives who also have the condition. A child has a 50% probability of developing these headaches if either parent has experienced any of them. The chance increases to 75% if both parents have them.

Other health problems: Your chances can increase if you have epilepsy, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder.

What are the symptoms of migraines headache?

A headache is a migraine’s main symptoms. Some people perceive pain as pounding or throbbing. It may start out as a dull ache and progress to mild, moderate, or severe pulsing pain.

 

Your headache discomfort will worsen if you don’t get treatment. In addition to hurting the front, and back, or feeling like it’s impacting your entire head, the pain might move from one side of your head to the other. Some persons have pain in their face, sinuses, jaw, neck, or around their eyes or temples.