Headaches/Migraines

Migraine is a neurological disease, of which the most common symptom is an intense and disabling episodic headache. Migraine headaches are usually characterized by severe pain on one or both sides of the head. Absent serious head injuries, stroke, and tumors, the recurring severity of the pain indicates a vascular headache rather than a tension headache. Migraines are often accompanied by hypersensitivity to light, hypersensitivity to sound and nausea.

Migraine is a frustrating chronic illness which is widespread in the population, with seriousness varying from a rare annoyance to a life-threatening daily experience. Treatments are typically expensive. Periodic or unpredictable disability can cause impoverishment due to patients' inability to work enough or to hold a job at all.

Migraine's secondary characteristics are inconsistent. Triggers precipitating a particular episode of migraine vary widely. The simplest treatment, applying warm/hot water or cold water soaked cloths to the affected area of head, is contradictory: hot or cold can either increase or decrease pain, though it is consistent in the same patient. A particular migraine rescue drug may sometimes work and sometimes not work in the same patient. Some migraine types don't have pain or don't occur in the head.

Available evidence suggests that migraine pain is one symptom of several to many disorders of the serotonergic control system, a dual hormone-neurotransmitter with numerous types of receptors. Two disorders — classic migraine with aura and common migraine without aura have been shown to have a genetic factor. Studies on twins show that genes have a 60 to 65% influence on the development of migraine. Additional migraine types are suspected and could be proved to be genetic. Migraine understood as several or many disorders could explain the inconsistencies, especially if a single patient has more than one genetic type.

However, still other migraine types might be functionally acquired due to hormone organ disease or injury. Three-fourths of adult migraine patients are female, although pre-pubertal migraine affects approximately equal numbers of boys and girls. This reveals the strong correlation to hormonal cycling and hormonal-related causes or triggers. Hormonal migraine is a likely consequence of periodically falling hormone levels causing reduction in protein biosynthesis of metabolic components including intestinal tract serotonin.

...More at Wikipedia

Related Links:

• M.A.G.N.U.M The National Migraine Association
• US National Library of Medicine
• Mayo Clinic

Recent Hope Cube Blog Entries For Headaches/Migraines

• dazed Fri, April 04, 2008 - [view]
  Huge head ache yesterday and I still have it. But it's but it's not as bad as yesterday. I was tired when watching a an indie film on Hugo Chavez.. I wanted to see it since Wednesday but when I was there I suddenly felt like a switch was on. I didn't know where I was and how I got there. I heard the movie but it was distant echoes. I don't know what it was I was just lost. The film was really good and I know I liked it because I am remembering how good it was and full of important ideas; at the same time I had no clue what was going on. As I am typing I know none of this makes sense, I just hope it isn't anything serious. 
• Stress? Annoyance? Anger? Sat, August 18, 2007 - [view]
  My week babysitting came and went. I did a lot of complaining about it to others, just because of my nephews bad attitude, but overall, it went okay...till today. I was not scheduled to babysit today, my parents were. They drove in from Vegas yesterday to babysit for two weeks, including today (Saturday). However, they decided upon themselves that I did not have anything better to do today and so they handed my nephew off to me while they went out with their friends and won't be returning till tomorrow. Yes, I know, they're quite inconsiderate. So, rather than taking it out on my nephew, which of course is absolutely wrong, I let him play his video game and watch his Speed Racer DVD just so that I don't get angry at him for no good reason (it isn't his fault my parents are inconsiderate...
• Another Headache Wed, August 15, 2007 - [view]
  This week, I'm taking care of my eldest nephew. He's 5 years old and will be starting kindergarden in September. The problems don't start while I'm babysitting. He's actually very good with me and gives me no problems, and he's very compliant, but for some reason, he is the complete opposite of this with his parents! He is the worst kind of whiner and he cries everyday. I am not exaggerating. (I would even go as far as saying that his case would make an interesting episode of Super Nanny.) So, this is when the headaches begin. They aren't quite as severe as my usual migraines and I'm thankful that I can usually just go to my room and close the door to escape his tirades, but they don't really help my condition any. I take prescription migraine medicine when the headaches are severe and ...
• News Story Sat, August 11, 2007 - [view]
  Ever since I had been diagnosed with Migraines earlier this year, I knew that it was most common in women. Though, today I saw a story on the news that said Migraines "could" be linked to some sort of depression in women. I tried looking for the story online, but I couldn't find it. But it makes sense...for me anyways. I mean my Migraines are more frequent and severe when I get emotional about something or other. They were most frequent when I was stressed out though, so that could also be it. When they started coming on everyday, I made an appointment for a massage and that seemed to do the trick. Lately, I've been getting Migraines again...I haven't been "depressed" but I have been a little stressed out. I'll be starting my new job in less than a month and I am totally unprepared.