Migraine Headaches – All You Ever Wanted to Know
To understand the worst type of headache, a migraine, it helps to have a basic understanding of why we experience
headaches, what we can do about them, and what some of the misconceptions about headaches are.
Headaches are most often the result of biochemical changes in the brain. These changes are caused by a number of
factors, including chemicals (natural to the body or from food that was eaten), stress (physical and psychological)
and environmental factors like continuous noise or even the weather.
Most people experience headaches that occur, and are then conquered with either sleep, medication, or a break in the situation/stress that may have brought the headache on.
For those rare people who suffer chronic and severe headaches, the continuous pain and nausea can become
debilitating to the point that they are depressed, undergo changes in behaviour, and withdraw from their friends and
family.
While almost all headaches have a non-life threatening origin, sudden violent headaches, or very severe headaches
that recur over and over, are reason to visit your doctor, who may order tests to determine the cause and nature of
the headache.
Migraine headache sufferers are often diagnosed by displaying a set of typical symptoms, where atypical
symptoms may need closer examination to find the root cause.
The most important thing that consumers should know about headaches, is that while they can’t be “cured”, they can be coped with. Sometimes that coping mechanism can be as simple as fresh air, a walk, more sleep, or dietary
changes.
Other times it may require the help of a health care professional to discover the biological or psychological
influences that caused headaches to disrupt your life.
