Ailments and Situations - Migraine

(also referred to as...)

Sick Headache, Suicide Headache

Description

Migraines are vascular headaches that begin with the constriction of blood vessels in the head and neck, followed by a dilation of the same blood vessels, which activates nearby pain receptors. The intense, throbbing, pain associated with migraines is typically felt during the dilation phase.

Migraines tend to affect women more than men with 15 - 30% of women and 5 - 20% of men suffering from this painful affliction. Sufferers tend to be between the ages of 20 and 50, however, migraine headaches can start before the age of 20 and as early as the age of 10. Headaches continue into the 30s and 40s. Attacks tend to lessen and even stop as you approach 50. For women, migraines are temporarily halted during pregnancy and can stop completely with menopause. Women also tend to experience a migraine during menstruation, when estrogen levels are low.

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