Headaches are one of the most common reasons people seek medical help. Almost everyone has had a headache at one point in his or her life. Although some headaches are a signal of a serious underlying illness—such as a tumor, aneurysm (ballooning of a blood vessel), or other illness—recurrent headaches more often occur without any underlying disease present. Crucial to the appropriate treatment of headache is the proper diagnosis of its type, and migraine headache is a particularly common form of recurring headache. This article provides an overview of migraine and its treatment, but it should not substitute for a thorough discussion with your physician. Sometimes a separate visit to your doctor to discuss your headaches specifically may be necessary. In some cases, especially if there are unusual features of your headache or if medicines don't appear to be helping, your doctor may choose to refer you to a headache specialist.
The Causes and Symptoms of Migraine
Approximately 25% of women and 8% of men suffer from migraine at some time in their lives. The precise cause of migraine is unknown, but it is probably related to chemical changes in the blood vessels supplying the brain and its coverings. These changes may involve constriction (narrowing) and dilatation (widening) in some brain blood vessels. Migraine headaches are usually described as a one-sided, throbbing pain of the temple, forehead, or eye. The headache usually, but not always, comes on over several minutes; on some occasions it may occur suddenly, like a thunderbolt. Other symptoms (Table 1) may accompany the headache, including nausea, vomiting, or the feeling that light bothers the eyes (photophobia) or sound bothers the ears (phonophobia). The headache may last for minutes, hours, or even days. Pain may be mild or severe, and it may vary in intensity between different episodes in a single person. Migraine is characterized as an episodic headache problem because sufferers generally feel well between attacks. Some people may have more constant or daily headaches in between full-blown, severe attacks.
