About Migraines

Migraines is a headache on one side taken from the word Hemicrania, although sometimes the pain can also attack both sides. Migraine attacks are episodic, lasting 4 to 24 hours or maybe more, depending on the treatment given, and the attack can be repeated when exposed to a trigger factor.

Migraine attacks experienced by approximately 10% of the population on this earth, this disease can strike all ages, but more often in young and middle age range. Men and women can be affected but patients known to women more than men.

Migraine headache is one form of headache caused by vascular disorders. Migraine headaches are caused by the occurrence of a combination of vasodilatation (widening of blood vessels) and the release of a chemical substance from the fibers - the nerve fibers surrounding blood vessels.
When a migraine attack, the temporal artery (the artery that runs around the temple) will be widened. This widening will cause stretching of the nerve fibers around the arteries thus stimulating these nerve fibers to release chemicals. This substance will cause inflammation, pain and extraordinary.

Migraine attacks commonly activate the sympathetic nerves. What is meant by the sympathetic nerves are nerves that become part of the human nervous system whose job is to control the body's response to stress and pain. Increased sympathetic nerve activity in the intestine will cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Sympathetic activity would also lead to slow gastric emptying resulting in drug delivery to the intestine to be absorbed will also be hampered. Barriers to drug absorption is a problem for people with migraine when given the drug orally. Increased sympathetic activity would also decrease the blood flow so that the skin will appear pale and cold. Increased neuronal activity would also cause increased sensitivity to light and sound.

Types of Migraines

1. Classic migraine, at first only attacking one side, but can also spread to the other side, marked by extreme headache, was throbbing, in some people felt like knocked loudly on the front or top of head, pain complaints also can be felt area around the ears or eyes. Other symptoms of migraine are: difficulty speaking, confusion, arm or leg feels weak, there is a tingling sensation in the face. Srangan this type of migraine can trigger nausea and vomiting.
2. Common migraine, more than 65% suffered by all migraine sufferers, symptoms that appear include: changes in mood and exhaustion (fatigue), abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, frequent urination dam. Migrenjenis frequency is varied, can attack several times in a week or once a year, depending on the therapy performed.

The fundamental difference of these two types of migraine is the classic migen preceded by an aura of symptoms in the nervous system, the patient will feel a flash of light, zig zag lines or momentary loss of vision. Usually occurs 10-30 minutes before a migraine attack.