The Difference Between a Headache and a Migraine
Understanding Triggers, Symptoms and Treatment for Migraine
Jun 23, 2009
Migraine is thought to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. It seems that during an attack serotonin levels drop suddenly, causing the blood vessels in the brain to get wider. This puts pressure on the surrounding nerves, which in turn leads to pain that, in severe cases can last for several days.
The Difference Between a Migraine and a ‘Regular’ Headache
So, you’ve developed a throbbing pain in your head, but if you’ve never had one before how do you know if it’s a migraine? Well you may experience some or all of the following symptoms:
- Aura – bright, flashing or zig zag lights in front of your eyes. This usually happens before the headache and is a good indication that an attack is coming on
- Sensitivity to light – this is why lots of sufferers need to go and lie down in a dark room when they have an attack
- Sensitivity to sound
- Nausea
- Throbbing pain on one side of your head only
If you have one or more of these symptoms, the chances are your headache is actually a migraine. It may be a one off attack or it may be that you have developed the condition. There is no way of knowing how often you will experience the headaches and unfortunately if you become a ‘migraine sufferer’ it is more a case of managing and controlling the attacks rather than ‘curing’ the condition. But there are ways of doing this!
Learning to Recognize Your Triggers
Different people will have different triggers. If you experience migraine more than once, it’s really important to learn what it is that sets your headaches off. The following list includes some of the most common triggers that sufferers have identified:
- Stress or other emotional issues
- Sleep – too much or too little can cause attacks in some people
- Heat and dehydration
- Diet – many people have trigger foods they know they need to avoid, such as chocolate, alcohol, cheese, caffeine, garlic, milk, nuts, citrus fruits and wheat
As much as you may enjoy a beer or a glass of wine, or the occasional bar of chocolate, try and cut these things out of your diet altogether if you know your treat will set a headache off. Try swapping your beer or wine for non alcoholic drinks and treat yourself with food that you know you can tolerate. It’s not fair having to say 'no thanks' when your friends or family are enjoying all these things, but the resulting pain may not be worth the indulgence!
What Treatments are Available for Migraine?
The best way of treating migraine is really to manage your triggers and avoid it altogether. However, as any sufferer will tell you this isn’t always possible, so it is important to find a treatment that works for you. Pain killers like paracetamol, ibuprofen and asprin can all be effective, as can triptans – drugs containing sumatriptan. Sumaptriptan also treats nausea and sensitivity to light and sound, not just the pain of the headache, so it may be a good option for you if you suffer from these symptoms as well. As with any condition, the best thing is to talk things through with your GP or pharmacist to make sure you get the treatment that’s right for you.
And remember, you’re not alone! More people suffer from migraine than you think, so do talk to other people about it, either face to face or through the many forums that have been set up by sufferers around the world. Sharing your experiences of this debilitating condition can make it that little bit easier to live with.
Sources: IMigranerecovery.com.uk
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