Medicine and Health related Information

Migraine is a throbbing pain which usually occurs on any one side of the head. A layman does think it is a headache. It is mainly caused because of swelling or dilation of the arteries lying outside the skull in the scalp. Migraine Headache is caused by stretching of pain nerve endings within the arterial wall. Such headaches are mostly associated with nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and noise. Sometimes few people complain of blind spot in their vision. The pain is very severe and it limits the normal activity of day to day life.

This is a particular type of severe and recurring headache and its cause is not yet known although the migraine headache causes has been linked with muscular spasm of arteries in the head. The arteries first become narrower then widens and why this occurs is not very clear. Almost one in ten adult individuals suffers from this condition.

The migraine headache symptoms are as follows. Before a migraine attack there is often an aura, a warning sign such as flashing lights on zigzag pattern before the eyes or occurs a tingling feeling in the face or limbs. Then comes the severe headache, a severe throbbing pain accompanied by redness and watering of one eye sometimes and possibly a running nose. The pain in migraine increases by normal physical works. These are the symptoms of migraine headache.  Common migraine triggers are as follows-

1. May be because hereditary factors

2. Environmental causes: Heat, cold, bright light, noise or a humid and cloudy weather can cause migraine in susceptible people.

3. Migraine can be triggered because of fatigue, overwork, travel and emotional stress.

4. Migraine Headache can also be triggered either because of excess or lack of sleep. Sometimes it may also occur because of physical stress due to jogging or excitement by sexual activity. Regular exercise helps control migraine to some extent but occasional exercise may lead to migraine attack.

5. FOOD- one of the main cause of migraine by three mechanisms-

a. Due to lack of food intake or fasting there will be decrease in blood glucose level which may lead to migraine.

b. Tyramine is a chemical compound found in proteins which directly stimulates cells of the brain and such stimulation may constricts the blood vessels of the brain leading to migraine attack. Cheese, beer, red wine, chocolate beef, liver, canned meats, soya sauce, eggs, broad beans, spinach , oranges, figs, prunes, plums, dates, bananas and tomatoes are the foods which are rich in tyramine.

c. Few food substances cause allergic reactions which may results in migraine. Common food allergens which causes migraine are milk, cheese, tea, coffee, orange juice, tomatoes and potatoes.

d. Few patients complain of migraine attack after eating Chinese food. This is because the Chinese food contains a compound called monosodium gluconate which causes constriction of the blood vessels of the brain causing migraine headaches.

e. Coloring agents such as nitrates and nitrites for some foods may also cause headaches.

f. Smell of paints from the freshly painted surfaces may also cause migraine.

6. Few people who keep drinking lot of cola, tea, coffee which contains caffeine may develop headache. Sudden withdrawal from these habits may develop headache. This is because of sudden reduction in the intake of caffeine which may causes distension of blood vessels resulting in severe headache.

7. Changes in the hormonal level may trigger a migraine. This condition is mostly seen in women in whom there will be decreased estrogen level before the onset of menstruation. Further women who take contraceptive pills with estrogen are more likely to suffer from migraine attack.

How to cure Migraine?

For migraine headache treatment there are few yoga treatments available -

1. Vomiting after taking 4 – 5 glasses of lukewarm water with salt.

2. Hot foot bath.

3. Applying cold pack on the head on temples and back of head.

4. Sleeping for a while in a dark room.

This is because cold compress will constrict distended blood vessels of the brain, and sleeping in dark room will help to relax. Few other ways to cure migraine headache are Sipping water bit by bit, sometimes taking hot honey water or vegetable soups .

Further the things which were described already described in this post like caffeine, red meat, red wine, diary products, alcohol intake which aid in causing migraine headache should be avoided which will certainly help in treatment of migraine headache.