Home › Health Information › Migraine & Neurology
Understanding the Migraine Headache
Migraine attacks are the result of a neurological disease and are considered different from other types of headaches. Around 37 million people in the U.S. suffer from migraines, which accounts for 18 percent of women and 7 percent of men.
Migraine Characteristics
A migraine may result in pain on the left side of the head, right side of the head, or all over. The severity of the pain is different for each patient but can result in the inability to work, play sports, drive, etc. A typical migraine will last for a number of hours, with some lasting for several days.
Migraine Causes
There are a number of triggers and symptoms that sufferers may experience from migraine headaches. Aura may result in changes in vision, such as bright flashes. Hyperactivity in certain areas of the brain has been linked to migraine; however, a definitive cause has yet to be established for the condition.
Women are more likely to experience migraines and attacks may flare up around menstruation. There is also a familial susceptibility to migraine, although there is only one condition confirmed as causing migraine episodes. This is known as Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM).
Migraine Diagnosis
Your doctor will seek to establish that a number of common symptoms are present in combination, pointing towards migraine, once similar disorders have been ruled out. Migraine with aura diagnosis requires that the sufferer is experiencing spots, blurs or other changes in vision linked with migraine. For suspected cases of migraine without aura, your doctor will look for at least two of the following symptoms:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Smell/Sound/Light sensitivity