| When you hear the word migraine do you think of a | | | | and the uncontrolled triggers. Red wine, cigarette |
| disease or a headache? Most people would answer | | | | smoke, chemical smells, and some hard liquor are |
| that by saying a headache. Well, they are partially | | | | examples of controlled triggers. Menstrual cycle and |
| right. Migraine is actually a neurological disease and the | | | | weather patterns are examples of uncontrolled |
| bad headache that people associate with migraine is | | | | triggers. While you may not be able to do much |
| only one of the symptoms of this disease. The other | | | | about avoiding the uncontrolled triggers, knowing |
| symptoms may include: sensitivity to light, sound, or | | | | what they are will help you with managing the |
| smell; tingling or numbness; light flashes; nausea or | | | | symptoms of this disease and avoiding the controlled |
| vomiting; difficulty with speech. This is a disease that | | | | triggers are a must. |
| involves the heightening of one's senses. | | | | - Abortive medication prescribed that is taken at the |
| It was long believed that migraines were brought | | | | first sign of migraine to fend off the attack or lessen |
| about by caffeine, stress or tension. This is simply | | | | the symptoms. This must be taken as soon as you |
| not true. The migraine disease is physiological | | | | believe a migraine attack is eminent. If taken after |
| biological and not psychological. In fact, if was first | | | | the onset of the attack, you may find the treatment |
| learned in the mid 90's that migraine was a genetically | | | | to be completely ineffective. |
| based disease and if you have even one parent who | | | | - Preventive medication prescribed is taken to |
| has this disease, you have a 50% chance of | | | | prevent the migraine or reduce the number of |
| suffering the same fate. This genetic revelation was | | | | attacks. There are some promising new medications |
| further examined by the Australian genetic research | | | | on the market but be sure to weigh the risks of the |
| team at Griffiths University in Queensland, Australia, | | | | side effects against the attacks. There are also some |
| where they recently discovered 3 genes for the | | | | promising natural products containing feverfew that |
| migraine disease! | | | | are worth checking into. |
| Migraine disease affects approximately 32 million | | | | This disease is one of the most misunderstood and |
| Americans, the majority of which are women. The | | | | misdiagnosed of diseases. Estimates state that |
| average age of the onset of this disease is between | | | | between 60-70% of people with this disease will |
| the late teens and the 40's. However, there are | | | | never be diagnosed! Migraine is a serious disease and |
| approximately 8 million children that suffer from | | | | needs to be treated as such. The migraine disease |
| migraine. | | | | can bring about aneurysms, strokes, permanent vision |
| Though there is no cure for migraine there are ways | | | | loss, and even death when not treated properly. If |
| to help manage the symptoms. First you need to | | | | you have a blood relative with migraine and suspect |
| understand the difference between headaches and | | | | you may be suffering from this debilitating disease, |
| the migraine head pain. The pain from a headache is | | | | see your doctor and insist that what you are |
| caused when the blood vessels in the cranium | | | | experiencing is "not just in your head" or brought on |
| narrow. The pain of the migraine is caused when the | | | | by stress! Remember, the medical professionals work |
| blood vessels in the cranium expand. If you take | | | | for you. |
| medication that is meant to treat headaches, you | | | | There is some good news, though. With the |
| may actually make the migraine pain worse because | | | | knowledge of migraine being a genetically based |
| these meds work by dilating the blood vessels! | | | | disease and the discovery of the 3 identifying genes, |
| Management of migraine symptoms: | | | | it won't be long before DNA is used to help diagnose |
| - There are many different triggers and they can be | | | | and ultimately treat this painful, disabling disease. |
| categorized into two groups-the controlled triggers | | | | |