A migraine headache is an intense, throbbing pain on one, or sometimes, both sides of the head. About one in ten Canadians suffer migraines. The gender split is three to one women to men.
Most people with migraine headache feel the pain in the temples or behind one eye or ear, although any part of the head can be involved. Besides pain, migraine also can cause nausea and vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Some people also may see spots or flashing lights or have a temporary loss of vision.
Migraine can occur any time of the day, though it often starts in the morning. The pain can last a few hours or up to one or two days. Some people get migraines once or twice a week. Others, only once or twice a year.
The exact cause of migraine is not fully understood. Most researchers think that migraine is due to abnormal changes in levels of substances that are naturally produced in the brain. When the levels of these substances increase, they can cause inflammation. This inflammation then causes blood vessels in the brain to swell and press on nearby nerves, causing pain.
There are drugs that can help -- they tend to be very costly. The best treatment, at least that I have found, is to sit or recline in a dark room and just rest.
2 comments:
Sit or recline in a dark room and rest!!! What you are offering sounds like the cure for a paper cut, not a migraine.
A common home remedy is caffeine and ibuprofen. For me, that is a regular Coke and 400mg of generic ibuprofen. I had tried some prescription drugs but they either made me drowsy or vomit.
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