Signs Of Chronic Migraine Headaches
Many People suffer from chronic migraine headaches and of them, 75% are women. These headaches can be disabling, and they are the most common kind of headache for which people seek out the advice of physician when it comes to management. The throbbing pain, nausea, and visual disturbances, along with facial pain and numbness, may last from 4-72 hours, which often sends the sufferer to the safety of a darkened room until the migraine subsides.
Chronic migraines may consist of four phases: the prodrome, the aura, the attack, and the postdrome phase. However, all of these phases may not necessarily be present in every patient each time there is a migraine. The prodrome phase consists of vague symptoms that may present for a few hours or even a few days before an actual attack. Sensitivity to light, changes in appetite, thirst, fatigue, drowsiness, and mood changes may all be signals prior to the onset of a migraine. In some patients auras may precede the attack. Some people experience bright or shimmering lights at the edge of their field of vision. Others see zigzag lines or stars. Darker auras include dark holes, tunnel vision, or blind spots. Some patients experience speech disturbances, confusion, tingling, numbness in a limb, or perceptual disturbances.
The actual attacks are characterized by severe throbbing pain on one side of the head. This throbbing may eventually spread to the entire head. The pain is usually worsened by physical activity, during which nausea and vomiting may occur. The facial tingling and numbness may be accompanied by extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Even the sound of someone walking across the floor in the same room can be excruciating. The period after the occurrence of a migraine attack is called the postdrome period and during this stage, the patient may feel exhausted and mentally foggy for a time. You may know someone who has suffered from migraines their entire life, and who, as a result, had to retreat to their bedroom for several days each month.
Chronic migraine headaches are also called transformed migraines, which typically begin as episodic headaches while in the teens and twenties, and which then increase in frequency over time. These headaches generally occur in at least 50% of the days of the month, and often on a daily basis. Medication overuse can also bring about rebound headaches, both with prescription and non-prescription drugs. Obesity and the overuse of caffeine are other factors that may increase the risk of episodic headaches becoming chronic.
Until not too long ago, abnormalities of the blood vessels in the head were considered to be mainly responsible for chronic migraine headaches. Now doctors believe that migraines begin with an underlying central nervous system disorder. Various stimuli trigger biochemical events that affect the brain's vascular system, but as of yet, no experimental model can fully explain their occurrence. Patients may be asked to keep a headache diary, noting what kinds of events or foods might have triggered the attack. It is recommended that making lifestyle changes, including avoiding foods and activities that precipitate an attack, be a part of a treatment program. Pain or preventative medication may also be prescribed for chronic sufferers. Regardless of the causes, people who experience crippling migraines are desperate for relief from these headaches that restrict and interfere with their daily lives.
