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All About Migraine |
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What is Migraine? Migraine headaches are not 'just a headache'. The pain of migraine is caused by the dilation of the blood vessels in head. Although the exact causes of migraine are not known, scientists have found that serotonin (a neurotransmitter) plays a major role in migraine pain. The start of a headache is brought on by some type of 'trigger', which is different for every person. Some common triggers are hormonal changes, lack of food, sleep pattern changes, certain foods like chocolate, cheese, and alcohol, especially red wine. The symptoms of migraine include a throbbing pain located on one side of the head, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, nausea, vomiting, and can include visual disturbances. Some people experience an aura before the onset of pain, which is usually a visual disturbance that lasts about 15 minutes, with headache following within one hour.
Who gets Migraine? More than 3 million Canadians, 45 million Americans, and 10-12% of the population worldwide suffer from migraine headaches. Migraine occurs in both boys and girls about equally before puberty, but this shifts after puberty to nearly 3 women for every man that suffers from migraine. Migraine is estimated to cost the Canadian economy CDN$500,000,000.00 annually. This estimate includes sick time as a result of migraine, treatment costs, and the cost of decreased productivity. Last updated April 3, 2003 by Shannon Mewha |
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Migraine information at MEDline Migraine Trust - information and support |
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