By Martha Robert
A migraine is a throbbing painful headache, usually on one side of the head, that is often initiated or “triggered” by specific compounds or situations (environment, stress, hormones, and many others). They occur more often in women (75%, approximately) and may affect a person’s ability to do common tasks.
Symptoms
They include throbbing pain, usually on one side of a person’s head, can be intense enough to cause a person to be unable to do simple tasks or to work. The headache pain may radiate toward the eyes, forehead, or temple and make a person develop nausea, vomiting, vision problems, and sensitivity to normal light or mild exertion.
With aura
“Classic” migraines begin with an aura such as seeing visual field changes (dots, wavy lines, blurriness) about an hour or less before the pain begins. Approximately 20% of people with migraines have this “classic” type.
Warning signs
“Classic” auras do not occur in all patients, but about 25 per cent of migraine patients can have a prodromal phase. The prodromal phase occurs as long as 24 hours before migraine pain develops; the prodromal phase consists of mood changes (depressed, excited, irritable) and sensations of odd smells or tastes, while others may feel tired or tense.
Causes
The neurological causes of migraines are not understood but researchers speculate something may initiate a mix of blood vessel permeation and brain chemicals to interact with brain cells to cause the migraine.
Flashing Lights
Migraine headaches are often triggered to occur when the person is exposed to a specific set of circumstances. One of the most common triggers is strong flickering light. For example, faulty fluorescent lights, a television picture rapidly going on and off, or sunlight reflected off of waves in a lake or the ocean are all potential triggers.