Ask a bunch of neurologists how many of them had a migraine over the last twelve months and over half of them will put their hands up. If you ask family physicians the same question you will find that about 32% of them had a migraine (or more than one) over the last twelve months. The figure for the general population is about 12%.
Why do health professionals say they have more migraines than the general population? Is there something about their jobs that gives them splitting headaches? Apparently, the reason is more straightforward. Health professionals are able to self-diagnose more quickly and do something about it.
If this is true, wouldn't it also be true that perhaps 50% of the general population gets migraines, it is just that many people do not know it when they have one. Experts throughout the world are beginning to wonder whether migraines are much more common that previously thought.
So, maybe we should learn to diagnose ourselves better. How do we know whether it is a migraine or just a tension headache or something else?
WHAT IS A MIGRAINE HEADACHE?
A migraine is a very bad headache that tends to recur. With a migraine, you may feel nauseated and might vomit. The pain is usually on one side of your head and you may be very sensitive to bright lights and noises. Moving around can make the headache feel worse. There are many forms of migraine headaches. Classic and common are the two major varieties.
SYMPTOMS OF A MIGRAINE
The basic difference between the two types of migraine is the appearance of an "aura." The aura is the occurrence of neurological symptoms 10-30 minutes before the classic migraine attack. You may see flashing lights, zigzag lines or may temporarily lose vision. Other symptoms of classic migraine include speech difficulty, confusion, weakness of an arm or leg and tingling of face or hands.
The pain of a classic migraine headache is described as an intense throbbing or pounding felt in the forehead/temple, ear/jaw or around the eyes. Classic migraine starts on one side of the head but may eventually spread to the other side. An attack may last one to two pain-racked days.
The common migraine - a term that reflects the disorder's more frequent occurrence in the general population - is not preceded by an aura. Some people do experience a variety of vague symptoms before common migraines - mental fuzziness, mood changes, fatigue, and unusual retention of fluid. During the headache phase of a common migraine, you may have abdominal pain and diarrhea, increased urination, nausea and vomiting. Both classic and common migraines can strike as often as several times a week or rarely as once every few years.
WHAT CAUSES MIGRAINE?
Doctors think migraines may be caused by a chemical or electrical problem in certain parts of the brain. A key element of a migraine headache is blood flow change in the brain. According to theory, the nervous system responds to a trigger such as stress by creating spasms in the nerve-rich arteries at the base of the brain.
The spasms constrict several arteries supplying blood to the brain, including arteries from the scalp and neck. As these arteries constrict, the flow of blood to the brain is reduced. At the same time, platelets clump together and release a chemical called serotonin.
Serotonin acts as a powerful constrictor of arteries further reducing blood and oxygen supply to the brain. In reaction to the reduced oxygen supply, certain arteries within the brain dilate to meet the brain's energy needs. This dilation spreads, finally affecting neck and scalp arteries. Doctors believe this dilation causes the pain of migraine.
Why do health professionals say they have more migraines than the general population? Is there something about their jobs that gives them splitting headaches? Apparently, the reason is more straightforward. Health professionals are able to self-diagnose more quickly and do something about it.
If this is true, wouldn't it also be true that perhaps 50% of the general population gets migraines, it is just that many people do not know it when they have one. Experts throughout the world are beginning to wonder whether migraines are much more common that previously thought.
So, maybe we should learn to diagnose ourselves better. How do we know whether it is a migraine or just a tension headache or something else?
WHAT IS A MIGRAINE HEADACHE?
A migraine is a very bad headache that tends to recur. With a migraine, you may feel nauseated and might vomit. The pain is usually on one side of your head and you may be very sensitive to bright lights and noises. Moving around can make the headache feel worse. There are many forms of migraine headaches. Classic and common are the two major varieties.
SYMPTOMS OF A MIGRAINE
The basic difference between the two types of migraine is the appearance of an "aura." The aura is the occurrence of neurological symptoms 10-30 minutes before the classic migraine attack. You may see flashing lights, zigzag lines or may temporarily lose vision. Other symptoms of classic migraine include speech difficulty, confusion, weakness of an arm or leg and tingling of face or hands.
The pain of a classic migraine headache is described as an intense throbbing or pounding felt in the forehead/temple, ear/jaw or around the eyes. Classic migraine starts on one side of the head but may eventually spread to the other side. An attack may last one to two pain-racked days.
The common migraine - a term that reflects the disorder's more frequent occurrence in the general population - is not preceded by an aura. Some people do experience a variety of vague symptoms before common migraines - mental fuzziness, mood changes, fatigue, and unusual retention of fluid. During the headache phase of a common migraine, you may have abdominal pain and diarrhea, increased urination, nausea and vomiting. Both classic and common migraines can strike as often as several times a week or rarely as once every few years.
WHAT CAUSES MIGRAINE?
Doctors think migraines may be caused by a chemical or electrical problem in certain parts of the brain. A key element of a migraine headache is blood flow change in the brain. According to theory, the nervous system responds to a trigger such as stress by creating spasms in the nerve-rich arteries at the base of the brain.
The spasms constrict several arteries supplying blood to the brain, including arteries from the scalp and neck. As these arteries constrict, the flow of blood to the brain is reduced. At the same time, platelets clump together and release a chemical called serotonin.
Serotonin acts as a powerful constrictor of arteries further reducing blood and oxygen supply to the brain. In reaction to the reduced oxygen supply, certain arteries within the brain dilate to meet the brain's energy needs. This dilation spreads, finally affecting neck and scalp arteries. Doctors believe this dilation causes the pain of migraine.
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