Each one of us has experienced headaches in our life. Most headaches are temporary which may be due to tension or a temporary health condition like cold or fever but some are signs of serious health problems.
Migraine is a type of headache which is characterized by a one sided, severe, throbbing or pulsating ache. Migraines are also called vascular headaches because they involve spam of the arteries of the head, resulting in a pulsating pain. They may last a few hours to days or longer.
The difference between migraines and other type of headaches are the characteristic symptoms. One of the symptoms which a person feels before this ache initiates is a warning known as "aura" that the migraine is coming on. This may include a visual disturbance, difficulty in speaking, confusion, tingling in the face or hands and weakness in arm or leg. These symptoms last, 10-30 minutes before the onset of migraine.
Common symptoms of all types of migraines include a severe throbbing headache which is made worse by movement, nausea or vomiting and irritation from sound and light.
Factors which set off migraines
• Environmental factors like noise, bright light, cigarette smoking, excessive hot and cold temperature, strong odors etc.
• Hormonal factors which are associated to menstrual cycle in women.
• Emotional factors like anger, depression, fatigue, anxiety and stress.
• Dietary factors
Foods that may cause migraines
• Dairy products like cheese
• Fermented foods like pickles and soy sauce
• Leguminous members including beans lentils
• Nuts e.g. peanut
• Chocolates and cocoa
• Even fruits like bananas, citrus fruits, papaya, grapes, pineapples, raspberries, red plums and raisins etc.
• Alcohol
• Artificial sweeteners, ginger and molasses
• Monosodium glutamate
• The caffeine in coffee and some analgesic drugs can produce positive as well as negative effects. For example if taken on regular basis they elevate migraines but if consumed occasionally, help to get rid of it. If you sense aura, drink a cup of coffee, take a painkiller and lie down in quite dark room. This may help you get over the pain in short span.
Cause of migraines
Migraine is more common in women and start between ages 18-44. It is associated with intolerance to some specific foods because these foods contain amines and the migraine sufferers have difficulty in their metabolism so they stay in their body for longer. Nervous system senses them and cause dilation of the brain or constriction of blood vessels in there. This constriction reduces the blood flow to brain and causes migraine.
Prevention of migraine
• Migraine can be prevented by identifying a particular responsible factor and avoiding it.
• Avoid fasting or dieting as low blood sugar levels also serve as a trigger.
• Drink lots of water as dehydration is also one of the trigger foods which initiate headaches or migraine. This can be understood by considering that if we don't drink enough water, the body takes fluid from blood and in an effort to conserve body fluids the blood vessels constrict leading to migraine.
• Magnesium is found to be helpful in avoiding migraines. Smoking, alcohol consumption, stress can result in magnesium deficiency.
Manju Kaundal
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Manju_Kaundal
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