Migraine Headache Causes

Approximately 28 million Americans suffer migraine attacks. Anyone who has ever suffered the debilitating effects of a migraine can tell you that it is not "just a headache." With symptoms that can include aura, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound, the migraine is a neurological disease that is often misunderstood and misjudged.

Causes

• A regular headache is caused by constriction of the blood vessels. Migraine pain is just the opposite: expansion of the blood vessels produces the pain. In the mid-1990s, researchers discovered that the root cause of migraine was genetically based. In fact, by the year 2000, three migraine genes were discovered, and almost all migraine sufferers (also called "migraineurs") were shown to have a close relative who also suffered from migraines.

Triggers

• What brings on a migraine varies according to the migraineur. Some factors are controllable, while others are not. Sometimes a migraine takes place only after several triggers have occurred. Uncontrollable triggers include hormonal changes and weather patterns, while controllable triggers can include bright or flashing light, alcohol consumption, smog, strong odors (such as perfume), sleep patterns, stress, over-exertion, certain medications and certain food or dietary patterns, such as skipping meals. Common food triggers include chocolate, red wine, aged cheese, MSG, foods containing nitrates and too much caffeine.

Effects

• Migraines can actually be life-threatening and can cause a number of serious physical problems including stroke, permanent loss of vision, aneurysms, epilepsy, coma, dental conditions and even death. Three out of four migraineurs are women, and 5 to 10 percent of children under the age of 18 suffer migraine attacks. No cure is yet available for migraines, only treatments for the symptoms.

Symptoms of Migraine

• Approximately 15 percent of migraineurs experience a "warning sign" that a migraine is coming. This warning takes the form of a change in brain function that can manifest itself in various ways. Some experience what is known as "aura," which is a visual disturbance that can appear as what is described by Seymour Solomon, M.D., as "an arc of sparkling (scintillating) zig-zag lines." It can also appear to be "holes" in your vision, where you can see only part of what you are looking at. According to Dr. Solomon, other such changes in brain function could include "numbness of one side of the face and hand, weakness, unsteadiness, or altered consciousness." The headache pain follows the "warning," and can be on one or both sides of the head, but usually not in the back of the head. This pain distinguishes itself by being a severe, throbbing pain that can take anywhere from four hours to several days to go away.

Famous Migraineurs

• Lewis Carroll, author of "Alice in Wonderland," suffered constant migraine attacks. Other famous migraineurs include Virginia Woolf, Elvis Presley, Claude Monet, Julius Caesar, Loretta Lynn, Napoleon, Vincent Van Gogh, Mary Todd Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and leaders on both sides of the Civil War: Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee.