Migraine Headaches:
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A Migraine is a throbbing and severe headache that often starts on one side of the head and can be distantly related to vascular headaches; the ache rises in a particular side of the head; it may spread and increase to other parts of the head as well; the pain arises due to the abnormal enlargement of the blood vessels 'Vasodilatation', this enlargement stretches the nerve, which coils the blood vessel; the blood vessel that is affected, is the temporal artery; the temporal artery expands itself during the Migraine attack, which is located outside the skull and under the skin of the forehead, near the temple.
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Types of Known Migraines: There are two different types of Migraines based on the Aura; Migraines with an Aura have initial symptoms like light flashing in front of the eyes or blind spots; the Migraines that are not preceded with these symptoms of an Aura, are called Migraines without an Aura; in fact, there are different types of Migraines classified according to the causes and Migraine symptoms. Abdominal Migraines: Abdominal Migraines are observed in children from 5 to 9 years old and include all the common Migraine symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which are also accompanied by severe abdominal pains near the navel; Children suffering from these abdominal Migraines may, or may not, have an Aura; unfortunately, most of the children that suffer from abdominal Migraines are likely to develop Migraines with, or without, an Aura, when they grow up; abdominal Migraines are treated with regular medications to try and stop 'Prophylaxis Prevention' the Migraines from occurring. Basilar Migraine: The basilar Migraine is observed in young adults and is one of the most painful types of Migraines; the symptoms include blurred vision, loss of balance, difficulty in speaking, unconsciousness and a tingling sensation in the body; it also causes severe pain at the back of the head and is accompanied with vertigo; vertigo is a disorder in which there is difficulty in walking, as there is a sensation that the room or surroundings are spinning; this type of Migraine has an Aura; the basilar Migraine is usually observed in people with a family history of Migraine. Classic Migraine: The classic Migraine is an headache, the symptoms of which include flashing lights seen in front of the eyes, nausea, weakness, eye pain and a one sided pain; a one-sided pain means that severe pain is experienced only on one side of the head; this type of Migraine has an Aura; common Migraines without an Aura and basilar Migraines are often mistakenly diagnosed as classic Migraines; analgesics are usually used to treat the severe headaches of classic Migraines. Hormonal Migraines: Hormonal headaches are experienced by many women as it is related to their sexual hormones and reproductive cycle and these headaches can disrupt daily routines and make a sufferers life miserable while they last; the drop in estrogen and progesterone levels and the use of oral contraceptives can lead to menstrual Migraines and these types of headache can come up suddenly and become unpredictable during menopause; though, it has been found that hormonal Migraines disappear in most of the women during pregnancy; it is worth noting however, that even though there are two types of Migraines associated with hormonal fluctuation, not every hormonal headache is a Migraine headache. Menstrual Migraines are experienced before, or after, the menstrual periods and start 1 or 2 days before the periods begin, or 1 or 2 days after the periods end and when a Migraine occurs every month on the 2nd day of periods and at the end of menstrual periods, they are termed as ''True Menstrual Migraines'; Premenstrual Migraine start between the 3rd to 7th day before the start of periods and they stop with the start of the menstrual flow. What are the Symptoms of Hormonal Migraines? Similar to normal Migraines, the headaches are usually one sided headaches, which are aggravated by bright lights and loud sounds; the sufferer may experience nausea with or without an Aura; hormonal Migraines typically last longer and are more severe than normal Migraines; it is believed that the stomach cramps during the menstrual cycle amplify the pain of hormone Migraines. Ophthalmoplegic Migraines: There are different types of ophthalmoplegic Migraines, silent Migraines, Ocular Migraines and ophthalmic Migraines; these types of Migraine can cause severe pain in the eyes, due to this the basilar Migraines can also be classified as an ophthalmoplegic Migraine when there is intense pain in the eyes. The symptoms of ophthalmoplegic Migraines vary from sufferer to sufferer; although a Visual Disturbance is experienced by all, its effects vary; for instance, one of the most common symptoms is the appearance of small, but expanding blind spots, which is termed as Scotoma; the blind spots can be seen in the central vision and it can be accompanied by flickering lights 'Scintillations' or Zigzag streaks 'Metamorphopsia', which can be seen within the Scotoma or the blind spots; although the blind spots first appear in the region of central vision, it can gradually enlarge and cover the entire field of vision; it is usually painless, but it can be accompanied by some other symptoms like, Double Vision or Diplopia, Headache, Nausea and Vomiting; some people are even known to experience Distorted Vision; these symptoms may go on for hours in some of the sufferers, whilst in others, they may last only for about 15 to 20 minutes; most sufferers experience Tiredness and Fatigue. Some Ocular Migraines, or silent Migraines, produce no headache and the only way this type of Migraine is discovered is when the sufferer experiencing it observes temporary vision loss or distortion in one eye, it is not a common health disorder and is known to affect only a small percentage of people; there is an occurrence of sudden tightening of blood vessels which reduces, or restricts, the flow of blood to the part of the brain which controls the vision, thus resulting in an Ocular Migraine; the affected vision is temporary in most cases and normal vision returns after some time; though, there are negligible, and very rare, chances of permanent vision loss; those who are considered to be at a risk of getting hit by an Ocular Migraine are women and those who are suffering from diseases such as Lupus, hardening of the arteries; Sickle Cell Disease, Epilepsy, and Depression; it has also been found to prevail in people under 40 and most commonly in those who have a history of Migraines running in the family. In many cases an Ocular Migraine is referred to as a Migraine with an Aura, which is also responsible for causing visual distortions; the line of difference between the two is the fact that in an Ocular Migraine, only one eye is affected, whilst in a Migraine with an Aura, both eyes are affected; Ocular Migraines do not have many symptoms; however, the symptoms that do occur are prominent enough for a doctor to diagnose the affected sufferer with an Ocular Migraine. Other than the Complete but temporary Vision Loss in one eye, Ocular Migraine symptoms include Blurring of vision; Partial Vision Loss; Dimming and Scotomas, an isolated area of diminished vision within the visual field, also known as blank spots in the vision; Scintillations, rapid changes in brightness, or a brief spark or flash and Metamorphopsia, a defect of vision in which objects appear to be distorted, usually due to a defect in the retina. |
Sinus Headache or Migraine? |
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