Monday, February 6, 2012

Could A Migraine Headache Be Linked To A Change In Seasons?

A migraine headache is one of the worst headaches a person can experience. They are debilitating as they do not just provide pain but is usually accompanied by sensitivity to light, sound and cause nausea. Most sufferers have to lie down in a darkened bedroom, with a wet cloth over their eyes until the migraine finally goes away. A migraine headache may last from hours to days.

The cause of the migraine headache is unknown, which is exceedingly frustrating. Also, not everyone will experience a migraine in the same way. Not even the same person will have a migraine headache the same way! My migraines occur in the Spring and Fall when the seasons change. Doctors do not know if the trigger is pollen, change of the amount of sunlight per day or change in stress level.

Migraine Triggers Causes

Thankfully I only get one migraine each season but the migraine headache is not the same each time. Some migraines are very bad and feel like someone is drilling all over my skull at once. Other times my head just feels like it is stuck in a vise. Sometimes I'll get an aura before the migraine headache starts. That at least gives me a warning so that I can get home and stop driving before it hits.

The migraine headache aura is something peculiar to the migraine headache. It is a visual disturbance that migraine sufferers will experience before the headache begins and may also occur during the rest of the headache.

I have experienced two types of aura with my migraines over the years. The aura will either be a large arch of vibrating red and blue small triangles that gradually appear and block out my vision in one eye, or it will be a hole of no vision over one eye. My left eye seems to be the one usually affected by the auras. As you can see, it is impossible to function normally with an aura that precursors a migraine headache.

After the migraine headache is over I am completely exhausted and feel ill. For those that have never had the misfortune to experience a migraine headache, it is very hard to explain the pain and recovery symptoms. It is like needing to recover from physical torture. Your body needs to recover and so does your mental state. I am lucky in that I only have a few migraine headaches a year. I really do not know how people can even live when they have several migraines a week!

Could A Migraine Headache Be Linked To A Change In Seasons?

Migraine Triggers Causes

Migraine - Or is Nerve Damage Causing Your Headache?

Millions of people suffer from headaches. This often causes missed work days. less productive days, and less enjoyable days. Migraine is a specific intracranial vascular headache. Many use the term mistakenly to describe other types of headaches. There are many other causes of headache and many of these can be caused by nerve dysfunction.

The occipital nerve is a large nerve in the neck. It can be damaged by such things as whiplash injuries and improper patient positioning during oral surgery. Occipital neuralgia causes pain in the back of the head but this can be referred to other areas. This is because the ganglion interconnects with the trigeminal ganglion in the brain stem. Throbbing is often associated with this type of headache because of proximity to the occipital artery.

Migraine Triggers Causes

The auriculotemporal nerve is located near the ear and the top of the jaw on both sides. Common headaches with problems to this nerve are temple headaches. This nerve is commonly damaged in TMJ surgery. it is usually pounding because it is near the temporal artery.

Another nerve that can cause problem is compression of the ethmoid nerve in the sinuses. An ear nose and throat doctor can diagnosis this problem by seeing if the patient has tenderness when using the instrument commonly used to explore the sinuses.

Another type of neuralgia that can be found involves the supraorbital nerve and can be caused by a head hitting a windshield or a punch to the front of the head. Treatment and diagnosis involves injection of local anesthetic with steroid. The headache can sometimes take years before it starts to present problems.

The infraorbital nerve can also cause problems and is often misdiagnosed as maxillary sinusitis.

Nerve problems causing headaches are different than migraines and need to be treated as such. Diagnosis is made by injection of local anesthetic into the nerve that seems to be the problem. Treatment is directed at reversing the underlying pathology. Entrapments are treated with injectable anti inflammatory medications. Always remember you can't treat what you can't diagnosis. Patients as well as doctors need to be proactive in finding a potential source for chronic headaches.

Migraine - Or is Nerve Damage Causing Your Headache?

Migraine Triggers Causes