In medical term, Migraine denotes a strong pain in the head that usually occurs in one side of the brain. It is often associated with other stressful symptoms in the affected person and results in episodes of moderate to strong headache and the periods of pain can last up to 3 days starting from a few hours.

A person suffering from this condition may face attacks of nausea as well as vomiting. He might also develop phobia of noise and light. As a matter of fact, most of the people suffering from this ailment report about an aura preceding the pain, during which he feels a strong smell and peculiar light. It is broadly categorized into two types, common migraines minus any aura and classical migraines with an aura.

Migraine Symptoms

The most prevalent symptoms of migraine are changes in mood and craving for some specific kind of foods. When this ailment attacks the victims they want to lie in a dark and quiet place. This is natural considering the sensation of throbbing headache can worsen with light and noise.

Causes of Migraine

The medical community has not been able to pinpoint an exact cause of Migraine but there are some theories that try to explain its origin. According to the common perception, a decrease in the brain chemical called serotonin leads to its occurrence. When the level of this chemical diminishes below a level, the blood vessels widen and leads to a sensation of throbbing pain in the head.

There are certain external factors that are responsible for triggering this ailment. They can be dietary, hormonal, chemical, environmental and behavioral in nature. Some people have allergy to certain physical conditions and substances. If he is exposed to these conditions for a prolonged period, he can develop migraine.

Some typical perfume or odors can trigger this in a person’s body. The alterations in the usual sleeping patterns and dehydration can also lead to its occurrence. People suffering from acute emotional and physical stress may also develop this condition. Excess consumption of caffeine and alcohol are the other important causes.

Apart from the aforesaid factors, a person can also contract migraine if he eats certain foods that contain a material called tyramine. Some of the most commonly consumer foods and beverages rich in tyramine are aged cheese, red wine, smoked fish, figs, chicken livers and some types of beans.

According to another theory, this ailment can also be triggered by alterations in the weather pattern. The victims are usually more susceptible to humidity in the weather, change in air pressure. The advent of warm Chinook winds also causes migraine to some people.

Prevention and Treatments of Migraine

This is an ailment that can not be cured nevertheless it can be checked to an extent. As a matter of fact, every body suffering from his menace does not require visiting a doctor. However, if the prescribed painkillers fail to work and attacks become recurring then consulting with a physician would be advisable.

Some people resort to alternative therapies like Yoga, acupuncture and meditation to get relief from this ailment. A specific medicine which reduces the symptoms in a person may not work with another person since everybody has different body metabolisms.

Typically, the people suffering from migraine develop their own mechanism for coping with the condition. The diet of the affected persons needs to be checked thoroughly. If it is found that the consumption of a particular food or drink is causing the condition then it should be excluded from their menu.

Apart from these, taking rest in a silent and dark room, applying cold or hot water to the head and taking a cup of tea might help a victim to recuperate faster. It has often been observed that if a victim applies the preventive steps when the pain sets in, the duration of the condition reduces noticeably. Application of anti inflammatory medicines that are non steroidal in nature and paracetamol are also common among the patients of the ailment.