Migraine,disambiguation

 Migraine - this increased response of the nervous system to external or internal factors, trying to adapt to that causes severe attacks of headache.

A distinctive feature of migraine symptoms from other types of headache is that the throbbing pain, starting in any one area of ​​the head, then does not cover the whole head, but only half of it. Usually each patient's onset of pain localized in the same place. Although uncommon change "polarity" of the attack to attack or overflow of pain on the other half of the head during the attack. The characteristic feature of the migraine attacks are a clear time limit: attack may not last more than 72 hours, and at the same time - at least 3. More than two thirds of migraine sufferers - women. Usually, the first time the disease has an effect between the onset of puberty and 35 years. Terminate migraine attacks with menopause in women and to 50 - 60 years - for men.


Causes of migraines and the mechanism of its occurrence

The nervous system of the body responds to every second as fluctuations in the parameters of its internal systems and to changing environmental factors. People with congenital increased excitability occurs inadequate release of bioactive chemicals and hormones in the blood, resulting in intracranial blood flow is disturbed, acting on the pain receptors cerebral metabolism is activated, and the pain threshold - is reduced. The result of running this adaptation mechanism become migraine attacks, the implementation of which involved not only the pain system of the brain, but almost all of the autonomic system.

Previously considered a migraine cause spasm of cerebral vessels or drop their tone that is not quite correspond to reality, and therefore migraine treatment is often ineffective. At the moment it is known that an attack consists of two phases. In the first phase do occur spasms of blood vessels of the brain and meninges. The result - a sharp ashen face, impaired vision (mist in his eyes, glowing dots or lines, loss of segments of the review), or other violations. The fall of vascular tone, ranging in dura mater, is in the second phase, and increased pulse oscillation of the walls is the cause of pain. If the mechanism of attack more or less clear, the causes of migraine, runs it, is still not clear. Program may run complex biological changes incorporated at the gene level (not by chance almost 90% of patients in the family had ancestors who have had migraine symptoms).
Attack may trigger the development of the following factors:

emotional stress, depression, anxiety state
severe fatigue, physical or mental
stuffiness in the room
variations in atmospheric pressure, adverse weather, magnetic storms
starvation
lack of sleep or, conversely, excessive sleep
foods containing tyramine (nuts, cocoa, chocolate, cheese, beans, celery, tomatoes). Or - nitrates (sausage, ham, salami, bacon)
smoking, alcohol
drinks (in high doses), caffeine (coffee, tea, cola)
Citrus (their acids are provocateurs, especially for people with allergies)
irritating odor
flickering or bright light
women - monthly hormonal changes in the body, hormonal therapy
use of large doses of histamine (found in beer and red wine)
Each patient has their own, unique to him, the factors that may trigger a migraine attack. Avoidance of trigger factors, and as a result, prevention of attacks is the best way to treat migraines.

Migraine symptoms

Typically, migraine a few hours warning of their arrival (called prodromal phase). Mood swings, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, drowsiness, sensitivity to bright light, noise, smells - all of these symptoms are the precursors of migraine attack. These can be added to the appearance of "wolf" appetite or no, the delay in the body fluids.

The next phase - the appearance of the aura (classic migraine, occurs in approximately 25% of patients). Mainly manifested violation of visual perception. Characterized by luminous flashes, balls, zigzags, fiery figures, mist or shaking, scotoma - the loss of one or more sections of up to temporary blindness. Sometimes the patient can see the others in a distorted way - strongly elongated or, conversely, too much smaller, sometimes with a change of color (so-called "Alice's syndrome", named so because Carroll described in the novel "Alice in Wonderland" and the phenomena occurring more children). Except ophthalmic migraine symptoms may experience sensory disturbances (numbness), speech or coordination. Duration of aura - from a few minutes to an hour, after which all the violations disappear.

Following the aura after some "light" period begins actually migraines - there is pain. Painful phase with simple migraine (without aura) may start without warning. On one side of the head in the temple, eye socket, or crown (much less) immediately starts pulsing (rarely - arching) headache, worse during physical or mental stress and growing for 2-5 hours. May be accompanied by nausea and / or vomiting, bouts of abdominal pain, intolerance of bright light - lower eyelids, pain on movement of the eyeballs, loud noises or smells. Painful area swells, the temporal artery swells and pulsates, its beat is perceived as a "hammer blow". Appears watery, pale or hyperemia (redness) of the skin. If the pain is bursting with character, it can spread to the other half of the head, and sometimes from the very beginning to be bilateral. Duration of pain attack varies from a few hours to 3 days. Then comes the resolution - stops vomiting, headache, decreased, replaced by sleepiness. Recovery of the body to the complete normalization of functioning of all its sensory systems can last for days. The frequency of attacks - two times a week to several times a year.