Migraine Informative Speech

It’s 5a.m and I can barely move; everything is blurry, my right hand is numb, and the right side of my head is pounding. A couple hours later everything transferred from my right side of my body to the left side of my body. It is a migraine that I am having, and this has been my life since 6th grade.

Migraine headaches are the third most prevalent illness in the world, and ranked as the sixth most disabling illness. Statistics show that only about fifty percent of people who suffer from chronic headaches know that they’re suffering from a migraine. 76% of people who suffer from migraines worry that they will suffer for the rest of their lives, and 37% of sufferers worried about their migraines between attacks. Studies found that approximately 12% of Americans suffer from migraines, and 40% of Americans could benefit from preventative therapies. Even though studies show that at least 40% of sufferers could benefit from preventative therapies, only one in five sufferers are currently using preventative therapies. Studies also show that over 25% of people who suffer from migraine attacks miss at least one working day over the past three months, and nine out of ten sufferers say that they cannot “function normally” during those days. At least 98 percent of migraine attack sufferers take medications for temporary headache relief, whether it be over the counter or prescription. Only 12% of sufferers take preventative medications as opposed to the 98% of sufferers taking medications for relief. Severe migraines are ranked in the highest of seven disability classes, along with psychosis, dementia, and quadriplegia, published by the World Health Organization. People who participated in a survey who admitted to a

Migraines contrary to old beliefs are not just bad headaches! Migraines are actually a neurological disease that affects 38 million people worldwide, according to the Migraine Research Foundation, 1 in 4 U.S households have at least one person who suffers from debilitating migraines living there. Although there is no cure for migraines, the vast majority of these victims use Excedrin Migraine or Advil Migraine to try to dull the sharp, throbbing pains they experience. These over the counter pain relievers may be very similar but they also have many differences.

On admission, Ms. Pilkey subjectively described her pain as being rather excruciating. There were times when she had to curl up into a ball due to pain during the week prior to admission. Her headaches felt like a “stabbing pick which penetrates her head” that is not localized to a particular region. The initiation of topiramate on July 31st 2015 has helped. The frequency, duration and degree of pain from chronic daily headaches had reduced considerably, allowing Heather to have a better quality of life. However, the degree of cognitive impairment, manifested in difficulty understanding commands and word finding have been more pronounced. In addition, she often forgot to take her morning dose of topiramate due to the cognitive deficits

McManus, D. (2003). Pathways of Pain and Possibility: The Dysfunction of Migraine Headache. Retrieved November 17, 2016, from

Throughout the entirety of my life, I have suffered from migraines. I have gone days, even weeks at a time in constant excruciating pain. My migraines have not only affected my social life but my academics as well. Even as I write this now my head is in searing pain.

Imagine walking into a room filled with screaming children, now the lights start to flicker as an electric shock runs through the air. That is what some people feel when experiencing a migraine. Even though migraines are a personal struggle for many people, migraines affect nearly one billion people worldwide.

Migraine is a form of neurovascular pain syndrome with alters central neuronal processing by activating the brain stem nuclei, cortical hyper excitability, and spreading cortical depression ("Migraine: Headache: Merck Manual Professional", n.d.). Migraine also affects the trigeminovascular system, which triggers neuropeptide release and causes painful inflammation in cranial vessels and the dura mater ("Migraine: Headache: Merck Manual Professional", n.d.). Migraine attacks are not caused by a primary vasvular event, but episodic and varies among different patients (Goadsby, Lipton, & Ferrari, 2002).

And although one of the side affects may be a headache, Botox has helped many people who have experienced these chronic

Migraines have been attempted to be treated for years, beginning with primitive and painful treatments and evolving into modern medicines. In the past, migraines were treated in rough ways, largely based on superstition. These included embedding a clove a garlic in the victim’s head through an incision in the temple, drilling a hole in the skull to release “evil spirits,” applying a red-hot iron to the affected area, and bloodletting, or the cutting of a victim in order for blood to be released (“Historical Overview”). Luckily, newer and less brutal methods have been developed to treat migraines. These largely consist of medications. There are two main categories of prescribed and unprescribed medications used for migraine treatment. One such category is drugs taken at the onset of a migraine. Medications taken at the first sign of a migraine are over-the-counter painkillers, ergotamines, triptans, antinausea medications, and opioids (Healthline Editorial Team). Mild painkillers are

Now, hundreds of years later, researchers are engaged in the continuing search for proof of the true pathogenesis of migraine and its cure. What has thus far been accepted is the rather vague definition of migraine headache as "a primary episodic headache disorder characterized by various combinations of neurological, gastrointestinal and autonomic changes" (1). Yet for its pervasiveness and deleterious effects, what do we truly understand about migraine headache? How is migraine related to other neurological dysfunction? Is there a cure? if so, how can it be found?

Different studies showed a possible involvement of the trigeminal cerebrovascular system in the transmission of nociceptive information related to migraine (Link, Kuris, & Edvinsson, 2008). The trigeminocerebrovascular system (Goadsby & Duckworth, 1987), is located in a central position regarding to cerebrovascular physiological influences (May & Goadsby, 1999). It has a unique sensory (afferent) innervation of cerebral vessels (Hamel, 2006) and has, additionally, a potential efferent, in pathophysiological field (May & Goadsby, 1999). To understand the migraine pain from a neurovascular view, in this research was considered the physiologic and anatomical information of the trigeminovascular system. The trigeminal nerve is the fifth cranial nerve located within the brain, and is

One basic inquiry regarding headache medicine and different pharmaceuticals is, "The manner by which does it know how to get to where the torment is?" The answer is that it doesn't! When you take headache medicine, it disintegrates in your stomach or the following some portion of the digestive tract, the small digestive system, and your body assimilates it there. At that point it goes into the circulation system and it experiences your whole body. In spite of the fact that it is all around, it just works where there are prostaglandins being made, which incorporates the region where it harms.

Additionally, there is no specific cure for migraine headaches. In addition, the goal in treating migraines is to treat migraines symptoms. Also, migraines can be treated with amitriptyline or venlafaxine. Furthermore, a migraine can be treated with blood pressure medicines such as propanolol. Researchers have also proven that migraines can be treated with seizure medicines such as valproic acid. (http://www.sciencedaily.com/news). In addition, when I read that you can treat a migraine with seizure medications, I thought that research finding was interesting to be aware of. Also, researchers stated that you could treat a

Cortisone does not actually treat the problem that is causing the migraine; it only provides the body temporary relief. In addition, according to cortisonesideeffects.net: