migraines

     

Migraine is a neurological synrome that can cause headache. It is a common condition that affects women more than men. The typical migraine headache is one-sided and pulsating, lasting four to 72 hours. Accompanying complaints are nausea and vomiting, and a heightened sensitivity to bright lights (photophobia) and noise (hyperacusis). Approximately one third of people who experience migraine get a preceding aura, in which a patient senses a strange light or unpleasant smell. Patients often describe triggers they feel precipitate an episode of migraine, such as certain foods and beverages (like chocolate or alcohol), stress or menstruation. In some migraine types there are typical features but the headache remains absent, and in children abdominal pain may be a prominent feature.

Trivia about migraines

  • Bad news for women -- they're more than twice as likely as men to develop one of these severe headaches
  • Early studies show that nose drops with lidocaine may relieve these excruciating headaches
  • (Dr. Oz shows an animation of a throbbing artery in the brain on the monitor.) The brain is a beautiful place, but triggered by dilation of arteries in the brain, these extremely painful events are sometimes accompanied by nausea
  • In one year, 5% of boys & 7.7% of girls studied reported getting these severe headaches often