Migraine headaches generally come in two forms: With and without auras. The headaches themselves can be equally painful whether or not an aura is present.

Statistics indicate that only about 20% of migraine sufferers actually experience these auras. However, I’ve actually observed that the prevalence of aura type migraines is substantially less than that.

What Is A Migraine Aura?

The aura is a distortion in perception. Most often a migraine aura is a visual alteration or other sensory phenomena occurring just before the pain phase of a migraine headache starts. The aura also typically ends before the headache itself begins.

Symptoms associated with auras may include flashing lights, geometric patterns, or distorted vision.

However, some people may have non-visual auras involving hearing sounds (usually buzzing), olfactory auras involving smelling odors, or tactile auras that manifest like a physical touching sensation.

Characteristics Associated With Auras Include:

Flashing lights

Wavy or zigzagging lines

Visual spots or other shapes

Blind spots or partial loss of sight

Blurry vision

Olfactory hallucinations, or the smelling of aromas that aren’t really there

Tingling feeling or numbness about the face or extremities

Difficulty speaking or forming words

Confusion

Vertigo (dizziness)

Partial and temporary paralysis

Hearing loss

Reduced sensation to touch

Hypersensitivity to feel and touch

Migraine auras normally lasts from 20 minutes to an hour; however some sufferers have been known to experience aura symptoms lasting up to two days. Migraine aura symptoms can and do vary tremendously from one migraine sufferer to the next.

“Negative” and “Positive” Symptoms

The most commonly reported aura consists of flashing lights or zigzagging lines, known as the so-called “positive” symptoms.

Partial or total visual field loss or vision blackouts are called “negative symptoms”.

A combination of so-called “negative symptoms” (such as vision loss) with the “positive symptoms” (like zigzagging lines) make up the typically distinctive features of a migraine aura.

Vision blackouts – the “negative symptoms” – are caused by a depression of nerve activity. On the other hand, zigzagging lines are caused by hyperactivity in the nerve cells.

Cortical Spreading Depression (CSD)

Special imaging and magnetic brainwave studies strongly suggest that Cortical Spreading Depression (CSD) forms the biological basis for the “negative symptoms” of a migraine aura.

From studying a particular type of migraine – Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM) – recent findings have shown two genes are responsible for causing this symptom. These genes – which control the ion flow of calcium, sodium and potassium to the nerve cells – are damaged in people inclined to this type of migraine. It’s believed this genetic mutation makes a person’s neurons susceptible to CSD.

In essence, the nerve cells (or neurons) don’t get properly “recharged” resulting in diminished or depressed neural activity. Whatever the reason, this reduced activity slows down normal body functioning. If the affected neuron complex happens to control the sight centers (visual cortex) then visual disturbances or losses may occur.

However, as these neurons begin to react to or recover from the CSD, they may become hyper excitable, resulting in visual phenomena such as flashing lights and zig zag lines. (It’s sort of like the neuron’s compensate by rebounding and going into overdrive!)

This hyper excitability then activates the major nerve complex behind the eye (trigeminal nerve). This initiates migraine headaches by activating the highly pain-sensitive “dura mater” – the membrane sheet wrapping around the brain.

Calcium Channel Blocker Drugs

Researchers speculated that blocking the ion channels flowing through the neuron cell membranes would help reduce migraine pain. Some suggested using drugs to slow down and block these channels for example “calcium channel blocker” medications.

Calcium channel blockers (such as verapamil) are widely used to treat heart disease and high blood pressure. They’re also now extensively used to prevent migraine headaches. Unfortunately, their effectiveness in migraine prevention is minimal at best.

A Better Method

There is another option a migraine cure. Cure the migraine and never worry about their associated auras or pain again.

Recent reports indicate migraine headaches can indeed be totally abolished as a number of elite medical clinics catering to women have testified. Under their treatment protocols, migraines are completely eliminated in 80% of their patients.

These successes are limited to women only, as addressing a women’s hormones is the basis of the cure. Some clinics have published their treatment protocols and even made them available to the public.

The Women’s Health Institute of Texas believes that a migraine cure certainly eliminates the migraine auras altogether – and concern over the ensuing migraine headache may no longer be necessary at least in women.



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About Migraines

A migraine is a severe headache that tends to recur with symptoms like nausea and vomiting. The pain is usually on one side of the head and there is an added sensitivity to bright lights and noises. Moving around can make the headaches feel worse. Although, there are many forms of migraine headaches, classic and common are the two major varieties. People with migraines are called migraineurs.

About 15% of the population is affected by migraines. Three times more women than men are affected. Over 80% of migraineurs have family members who are regularly afflicted with migraines. Prominently migraines are of three types. They are:

Migraine without aura (common migraine): Accounting for 80% of all migraine headaches, no aura is seen before this common migraine affects an individual.

Migraine with aura (classic migraine): Usually preceded by an aura, this type of migraine is generally much worse than a common migraine. Usually, an aura is said to be a visual disturbance, that is, outlines of lights or jagged light images.

Status migrainosus: Generally, a long-lasting migraine, it does not go away by itself.

Causes of Migraine headaches

The medical fraternity thinks that the migraines are caused by a chemical or electrical problem in certain parts of the brain. A key element of a migraine headache is blood flow change in the brain. According to hypothesis, the nervous system responds to a trigger such as stress by creating spasms in the nerve-rich arteries at the base of the brain. The spasms constrict several arteries supplying blood to the brain, including arteries from the scalp and the neck. As these arteries tighten, the flow of blood to the brain is reduced. At the same time, platelets clump together and release a chemical called serotonin which also acts as a powerful constrictor of arteries. This further reduces blood and oxygen supply to the brain. In reaction to this, some arteries in the brain expand to meet the brain’s energy needs. This dilation is believed to cause migraine headaches. Because, migraine headaches tend to run in families, it can be assumed that genetic factors may also contribute to a person’s susceptibility to migraines.

Headache triggers can be things that are eaten, smelt, heard or seen. They are:

· Stress and time pressure, major hassles and losses, anger and conflict

· Smells and fumes, tobacco smoke, light glare or dazzle and weather changes

· Monthly periods, birth control pills, estrogen therapy and too much, too little or interrupted sleep

· Hunger, fasting and specific foods or beverages

· Excessive activity

· Certain medications

Certain foods that might trigger a migraine:

· Aged Cheese

· Bananas, figs and raisins

· Beer, wine and hard liquor

· Caffeine as well as caffeine withdrawal and chocolates

· Dairy products such as ice cream, milk, yogurt, cheese, whipped cream and sour cream

· Fermented and pickled foods

· Monosodium glutamate (MSG), seasoned salt, canned soups, TV dinners, processed meats, and some processed nuts and snack chips

· Most citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit and lemons

· Nuts and peanuts

· Onions

· Pea pods or lima beans

· Processed meats, deli sandwich meats, hotdogs and other nitrite-containing meats

· Saccharin or aspartame in diet foods or diet sodas and drinks

· Sulfites in shrimp and processed potatoes, like boxed mashed potato mix

· Yeast-containing products, such as fresh breads and donuts

Medicines that might trigger a migraine headache are:

· Cimetidine (brand name: Tagamet)

· Estrogens (including birth control pills)

· Fenfluramine (brand name: Pondimin)

· Indomethacin (brand name: Indocin)

· Nifedipine (brand name: Adalat, Procardia)

· Nitroglycerin (brand name: Nitrostat)

· Pain killers (either overuse or withdrawal from them)

· Reserpine containing medicines (brand names: Ser-ap-Es, Hydropres, Regroton)

· Theophylline (brand name: TheoDur, Theo-24)

Migraine Guide

Having ridden the migraine train on several occasions, you may have an aura the acts like a warning whistle of the approaching headache. The pain builds slowly and steadily until you are in no position to tolerate the bright light and loud noises. You may even feel nauseated or end up vomitting. Lying down in a dark, quiet room is the only means that will help you ride it out.

While scientists still debate the exact mechanisms in the brain that cause migraines, there progress has helped them find treatment medications that may either be taken as soon as a migraine comes on or taken on a daily basis to help prevent migraines.

This guide will help you weigh the pros and cons of a variety of treatments, to help determine the best course of action for your migraine.

Although, much can be done to prevent the onset of migraines like avoid triggers, exercise regularly and keep stress under control — most people with migraines will need medication. Providentially, medication options for migraines have expanded greatly in the last decade which helps keep migraine disruption to a minimum.

Migraine medications can be divided into two broad categories of migraine treatment. They are:

· Acute – Taken after the onset of a migraine

· Preventive – Taken every day to ward off migraines

· Various nontraditional and emerging therapies may be helpful in some cases, too



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Who get migraine?

Physiologically, migraine headache is a neurological condition that is more commonly known to afflict women than men. Women experience migraines at least three times more often than men, probably because of hormonal changes. However, migraines can occur in children also, but they mostly appear in people in their twenties or thirties.

Studies have revealed that migraines could be inherited. For example, if one parent is afflicted with migraine, there is a 40% chance that the child will have migraine. If both parents have migraine, the probability increases to 75%.

Although, there is no specific migraine personality, most migraine sufferers have been found to be perfectionists, high-strung, conscientious, orderly, analytical and critical.

Symptoms and treatment of migraine

Symptoms of Migraine

Migraine pain generally differs from other types of headache; it has specific symptoms that may vary in intensity, character, frequency and duration. Migraine attacks can appear from a couple of times a year to almost every day. The two main types of migraine are:

Classical Migraine – migraine with aura Common Migraine – migraine without no warning or aura

A few migraine patients may experience an aura, which is normally treated as a sign of the pain to come. The aura consists of bright spots or zigzag lines and blurred vision or temporary visual loss. In rare cases numbness or tingling of the face and lips can also be observed. However, these symptoms generally disappear within an hour and are then replaced by a headache. In some cases the aura may not be followed by headaches.

Common migraine headache mostly begin without warning and are most commonly experienced by children. Common symptoms of this migraine are associated with:

Intense head pain (the pain begins on one side of the head and spreads downward to the eye, face and even neck; the pain can also switch sides or affect both sides at once) Relentless throbbing or pounding deep in the head Nausea Vomiting Strong and painful reactions to light and loud noises Activity associated pain (the simple act of moving may be difficult during the migraine attack) Not being able to carry out day to day activities. The need to lie down during attacks

People may sometimes experience all or some of the symptoms which are either moderate or severe. Migraine attacks may last from anywhere up to four hours to three days. This affliction has the potential to severely disrupt your work and family life as well as your social activities.

Migraine trigger

Migraine, it is believed, is triggered by changes in the neurotransmitters and blood vessels in the brain. However, certain factors have been identified that can trigger attacks in susceptible people. They are:

Stress (or sometimes the relief of stress) Lack of food or infrequent meals Certain foods products containing monosodium glutamate, caffeine, tyramine or alcohol Overtiredness (both physical and mental) Changing sleep patterns (e.g. weekend lie ins, sleeplessness or shift work) Hormonal factors (e.g. monthly periods, contraceptive pill, HRT or menopause) Extreme emotions (e.g. anger, grief etc.) Physical activity Environmental factors (e.g. loud noise, bright or flickering lights, strong perfumes, hot stuffy atmosphere, VDUs etc.) Climatic conditions (e.g. strong winds, extreme heat or cold)

For most people, afflicted with migraines, it is usually not any one trigger but a combination of factors which collectively work against a person’s threshold and an attack is triggered.

Cefaly medical device for migraine

Cefaly is a medical device that relieves pain in people suffering from migraines and cluster/tension headaches as well as trigeminal neuralgia and frontal sinusitis. It has a full EEC medical certification. A patented system, it bears the ISO and CE medical mark.

The unit consists of a band that is worn around the front of the head and it then sends electrical impulses through an electrode patch placed in between the eyebrows. This device works on the trigeminal nerves at the front of the face. It works at three programme levels. They are:

Programme 1 – Is a treatment programme, based on TENS technology. It works on blocking the flow of pain at the entrance of the spinal cord. Programme 2 – Is the preventive or endorphinic programme. It increases the endorphins (natural painkillers) in the central nervous system. Programme 3 – Is the anti-stress and relaxation programme.

Numerous tests and clinical studies have been conducted that prove that Cefaly is effective, with almost 85% of its users being extremely satisfied with the results.



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