Migraines
Migraine is a painful headache that comes with recurrent throbbing affecting usually one side of the head. It occurs with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and sensitivity to light and sound. According to Allexa Hammond and Maura Holcomb, MD, migraine has five stages. In the first stage (also called Prodromal), the patient will experience depression, a stiff neck, and cognitive dysfunction. The second stage (the aura) affects the visual (scotomata) area, sensation (paresthesia of the hands, arms and face), and cognitive capability. In the third stage (the peak stage), the patient will undergo throbbing pain, nausea, anxiety, irritability, impairment in concentration, and photophobia (extreme sensitivity to light). The fourth stage is the resolution of the headache for several hours, possibly aroused by vomiting or deep sleep. The last stage is the recovery stage; the patient will feel fatigue, become depressed and sometimes have a euphoric mood. Not much about the cause of migraine is known, but genetics and environmental factors may play a role. It may be caused by changes in the brainstem, or imbalances in brain chemicals like serotonin, which helps regulate pain in our nervous system. Jimenez Diaz and associates have indicated that, during the migraine attack, there is a release of a substance more stable than acetylcholine, which they term S.A.C. acetylcholinelike substance. They also conclude that the normal choline acetylate system is different in
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
suffer from Migraines usually experience pain on one side of their head. There are several
The article begins by explaining the importance of migraines and how often they occur. The article says that there are more than 300 million people who suffer from their migraines, and they deal with all the symptoms of migraines like excruciating and pulsating pain in the head. Interestingly migraines have been around for around 7000 years, but it is only been in recent history that they have been recognized as a legit illness. However, even though it is now recognized as a serious ailment not much is known of what cause them.
The claimant testified she tried to work at a nursing home after June 30, 2016 but had a seizure on the job while lifting a patient and dropped him. She stated the job lasted two weeks. It was noted that the filing date of June 30, 2016 is the requested alleged onset and the ALJ notes that the consultative examiner, Dr. Bunting, said the effort on testing was poor. The claimant further testified that she had seven seizures last night. The seizures occurred between 8:00pm and 10pm according to witnesses. Dr. Applegate says the seizures are associated with her migraines. She cannot remember what medications she takes for migraines but has taken them for about eight months. It was noted the form says Depakote, Lexapro, Effexor, Amitriptyline
If it is genetic then there is no prevention of migraine. It is passed on genetically just like eye colors, hair colors, skin colors, etc.
The absorption and efficacy of orally administered drugs may be compromised by the gastric stasis or nausea/vomiting that often accompany a migraine. Pretreatment with antiemetic agents is advised when nausea and vomiting is severe. It is recommended to limit the use of acute migraine therapies to two days per week in order to avoid the development of medication misuse headache. Prophylactic migraine therapies are administered on a daily basis to reduce the frequency, severity and duration of attacks. Preventative therapy should be considered in the setting of recurring migraines that produce significant disability or frequent attacks. Multiple therapies may be needed before successful prophylaxis is achieved. A therapeutic trial of two to three months is necessary to judge the efficacy. After at least three to six months, once severity and frequency of attacks has diminished or there are prolonged headache free intervals, the drug is gradually tapered and discontinued.3
Some cases of migraine pain seem to be linked to nerve compression in the head. This was discovered accidentally after patients who had forehead lifts reported they no longer had migraines or that their migraines were reduced. The link was investigated and research indicates that trigger points in the muscles and other tissues in the forehead or neck compress nerves that keep the nerves irritated. This nerve irritation is what causes migraine pain. Migraine surgery helps by releasing the pinched nerve in a form of decompression surgery. Once the nerve is no longer irritated, migraines decrease or stop altogether.
Migraine headaches are often experienced on one side of the head (Tepper, 2004). The pain is associated with the pulsatile sensation that differs from one person to another. Migraine is also characterized by throbbing and pounding headache that can lead to nausea, vomiting, and in some instances photophobia. Presently, about 12 % of Americans experience migraine headaches every day. Research shows that migraine mostly affect people aged 15 to 55 years (Tepper, 2004). Migraine has been said to occur as a result of impaired nervous and circulatory system. In migraine, blood vessels undergo vasodilation. The enlargement of the vessels interferes with the nerve cells that normally surround the vessels making them secrete various chemical mediators. These chemicals include prostaglandins, substance P, interleukins, and cytokines (Schulman, 2010). The chemicals are responsible for inflammation and transmission of pain impulses. The associated feelings of nausea and vomiting are attributed to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic response also leads to slowed motility and gastric emptying that in turn reduces absorptions of gastric contents such as nutrients and drugs. Additionally, the sympathetic system also leads to excessive sound and light sensitivity. Statistics reveals that migraines affect more women than men. The severity of migraine headaches ranges from mild, moderate to severe depending on the individuals affected. In some instances, migraine headache can be a major cause of morbidity due to its debilitating
there is about how large of a role this portion of the brain plays within
A migraine is a common, chronic, and debilitating neurovascular disorder. It is characterized by attacks of serve headache along with autonomic nervous system dysfunction and some patients an aura neurological symptom (Goadsby, Lipton, & Ferrari, 2002). There are two types of migraines classical migraine and common migraine. Classical migraine is one that either preceded or accompanied by focal neurological symptoms which are generally visual, this occurs in 15% of patients and is referred to migraine with aura (Goadsby, Lipton, & Ferrari, 2002). Common Migraine is one that has episodes of head pain that are severe and throbbing and can last 4 to 72 hours. These are migraines without aura and are usually associated with nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light, sound or movement (Sorge et al., 1988). When diagnosed with frequent migraine attacks, doctors try to understand what the cause of a subject’s migraines are which can be due to many variables such as stress, sleep deprivation or menstruation.
Each year over twenty-six million people nation wide are affected by migraines. Once thought to be a concentration of evil spirits in the brain, common cures consisted of everything from drilling holes in the skull, to inserting garlic cloves into the temples. Today however, scientists realize that this all too common occurrence is actually a neurological disorder, which can result in the disability of its victim for hours or even days. I myself have been a constant sufferer of migraines since the age of twelve. The following is the life of a migraine sufferer: myself.
Migraine headaches are not normal headaches. They are often a chronic, on-and-off condition, causing sufferers various issues in all aspects of life. School and work become more difficult, and lives are disrupted. In order to reduce the effect of migraine headaches on Americans, it is important to understand the condition and its effects.
The lyrics of this song not only have a strong meaning but they also show a part of the lead singer Tyler Joseph’s personality. Tyler struggles with depression and uses his songs to cope. Singing his is way of venting his feelings and explaining his struggles. The song Migraine is a perfect examples of how he feels. He compares his life to a Migraine. The beginning of the song starts out with the lyrics, “Am I the only one I know, Waging my wars behind my face and above my throat, Shadows will scream that I'm alone.” At the very beginning of his song he already mentions that he is struggling with his “demons” in his mind when he sings “Waging my wars behind my face and above my throat” and that he feels alone.” Already, we hear signs of sadness
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
Today’s studies have found a variety of causes of migraines. Anne K. Brown explains a theory of how migraines are activated, she states, “cortical spreading depression (CSD), proposes that the neurons, or brain cells, of migraine patients are easily excited. When a migraine is triggered, the neurons suddenly fire electrical pulses that ripple across the brain in a wave. The ripple travels down the brown stem, to where the pain centers are located. This ripple causes blood flow to increase sharply then drop off quickly. The actual pain is caused by the changes in blood vessels, stimulation in the brain