Information About Chronic Migraine Headaches

It is estimated that around thirty million people in the United States suffer from migraines, yet less than half are given an accurate diagnosis. Many people who suffer from frequent headaches have migraines but assume it's something else. So how do you know if you are suffering from chronic migraine headaches, why do they happen and what can you do to feel better?

Causes

Medical experts do not know enough about chronic migraine headaches to be one hundred percent sure what causes them. Some researchers hold the opinion that migraine headaches are caused by abnormal occurrences in the trigeminal nervous system combined with chemical imbalances in the pain.

Though we don’t know exactly what happens in the pain when a migraine occurs, we do know what tends to trigger them. For instance, hormonal imbalances can trigger migraines so that some women suffer them just before the onset of menstruation when estrogen levels plummet. Certain food and beverages such as chocolate, caffeine, red wine, various cheeses and monosodium glutamate can trigger a chronic migraine headache. Other causes include stress, lack of sleep, changes in the weather and even jetlag.

Symptoms

A chronic migraine headache is a moderate to severe throbbing pain which is usually felt down one side of the head. Some people see what is called an aura just before the onset of a migraine. An aura is a visual hallucination which can take various forms such as a black spot, a zigzag pattern or a series of what appear to be little white stars. Migraine headaches are often accompanied by increased sensitivity to noise and light, nausea and vomiting. The severity of the pain generally increases with movement. Migraine headaches typically last from between four to seventy-two hours.

Treatment

The best way to treat chronic migraine headaches is to stop them from happening in the first place by avoiding the things that trigger them. So if you know that lack off sleep, stress and red wine are things that can ping on a migraine you should obviously avoid these whenever possible. Regular exercise is also thought to stop migraines from occurring as frequently. Certain antidepressant medicines are sometimes used to help prevent migraines too.

Prescription medications are available to help with the pain of chronic migraine headaches. Many people who suffer from migraines take triptans, and these help with the pain, nausea and light sensitivity. Triptans are particularly effective if taken in conjunction with an over-the-counter non-steroidal anti inflammatory such as Aleve. It may also help if your lie down in a dark quiet room until the chronic migraine headache begins to go away.