Basic Information on Women and Migraines
Migraines are 3 times more common among women. In the United States, about 18% of women and 6% of men have a migraine at some time each year. Migraines are thought to be caused by blood vessels in the brain expanding and activating nerves, which then stimulate pain receptors. Hormones, which are found in the blood, can increase and decrease the size of blood vessels. Migraines are often tied to a woman’s menstrual cycle. Researchers think that estrogen plays a role. Migraines are typically (but not always) preceded and accompanied by a visual ‘aura’ which consists of a growing, shimmering, colored pattern somewhat like a stained - glass window. It is impossible to ignore, as it typically obscures a big chunk of your visual field, usually on one side, opposite to the affected blood vessels. Migraines are usually gradual in onset, progressively more painful and then undergo a gradual resolution. When migraines are mild-to-moderate, they are usually described as being dull, deep and steady. Migraines are a much more severe form of headache and are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, disturbances to vision, numbness and speech disturbances. They may last a lot longer than tension headaches (between four and 72 hours) and can be triggered by certain foods, stress, extremes in heat and cold, strong smells, emotions, fatigue or hormonal fluctuations. Migraines are great, aren’t they? The first one I had that I can remember was back in high school chemistry class-I was reading along in the textbook but I was having trouble reading the left side of the page. Migraines are slightly different for every sufferer ? The headaches can centre in different areas and some get abdominal pains. Migraines are frequently confused with other types of headaches and sufferers are given little support. A migraine is a sharp, painful spasmodic disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of headache with or without associated visual disturbance.
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