Youth & Teen Problems

Often found as something a whole family may suffer from, migraines will often start when a person is very young. They usually affect one side of the head and sufferers say they can be affected anywhere from four hours to those that last for two days or more if left untreated. To make matters worse, even after the pains have decreased the sufferer is still left weak from the episode and unable to carry on normal tasks for quite a while.

There doesn’t seem to be any regularity to the attacks either as one individual might have a number each month whilst another sufferer will only have an attack once a year. A number of the symptoms associated with this condition resemble those seen in people with other common complaints. Migraine can affect people from as young as ten and up to the age of forty; although it is unusual for the condition to afflict anyone over the age of fifty.

Hereditary links are often associated with migraine and occurrences may happen among members of a family; even though there may be a link, so far it has eluded medical science. There is a condition that causes an inflammation of blood vessels in the brain and it is possible that people who suffer have sensitivity in this area. More women suffer from attacks and they comprise 75 percent of reported cases; one in every 4 women will be a victim of it, whilst only 1 in 12 men will suffer with it at some point in their life.

One of the signs - migraine with aura, is characterized by an unusual sensation (aura) that is in occurrence 10 to 30 minutes prior to the head pain. A number of different warning signs have been exhibited as shown below:

* Nausea is very common
* Enlarged blind spots
* Loss in the sensation of taste
* Problems with speech

whilst there are many more symptoms, the list above contains those which are most prevalent. The most common type of this condition is known as migraine without aura; many early indications felt by those who have a warning are symptoms felt by those who have no warning but their condition can be made worse if they are in constant motion.

At the moment the theory that blood vessels leading to the brain become narrower and affect the nerves is the closest science has come to discovering the cause of migraines. Some suggest that it is the rapid expansion after this narrowing that causes the awful headaches; it can actually incapacitate the victim so they cannot perform even routine tasks. The range of possible triggers that create an attack is huge; the most common are listed below:

* Weather
* Certain food groups
* Traveling in a plane
* Drinks
* Bright lights
* Lack of sleep or food
* Anxiety

It is for a person to keep a check to see if they have a pattern by which they can avoid situations that could lead to an attack.

Unlike normal headaches that many of us suffer with, a migraine is often a hereditary complaint that starts when someone is still in childhood. Often these attacks can last for days where the victim must seek bed rest; however, if it is treated, they can end in a matter of hours. To make matters worse, even after the pains have decreased the sufferer is still left weak from the episode and unable to carry on normal tasks for quite a while.

One thing that is still unknown is why some people have much more frequent attacks than others. These headaches go together with lightheadedness, sensitivity to brightness, and chills which are also symptoms of other common illnesses. Migraine can affect people from as young as ten and up to the age of forty; although it is unusual for the condition to afflict anyone over the age of fifty.

Members of the same family are often cursed with migraine and there is believed to be a hereditary link; even though there may be a link, so far it has eluded medical science. There is a condition that causes an inflammation of blood vessels in the brain and it is possible that people who suffer have sensitivity in this area. With this condition, women do not fare as well as men with a ratio of 3 to 1 suffering from the condition regularly; however, the chance of a man experiencing the condition on a regular basis is only one in twelve.

A number of people have a warning when they are about to have an attack which is called migraine with aura which can be anywhere between ten minutes to half an hour before the actual attack. The warning signs may include:

* Nausea is very common
* Problems with vision
* Loss in the sensation of taste
* Problems with speech

other symptoms exist but these appear to common with most people. The most common type of this condition is known as migraine without aura; many early indications felt by those who have a warning are symptoms felt by those who have no warning but their condition can be made worse if they are in constant motion.

At the moment the theory that blood vessels leading to the brain become narrower and affect the nerves is the closest science has come to discovering the cause of migraines. It might be that it is the expansion of the blood vessels afterwards that causes the headache; most victims become unable to do anything for some time after the attack. As there are so many situations that could trigger an attack, only a few are listed here:

* Bad weather
* Particular foodstuffs
* High altitude
* Drinks containing caffeine
* Strong intense sunlight
* Lack of sleep or food
* Anxiety

Sufferers need to monitor events that lead up to an attack if they hope to prevent them wherever possible.

A migraine is a complaint that is quite often suffered by other family members, all of which have probably been experiencing them from a young age. More often than not it is just one side of the head that experiences miserable pain that lasts from four to 72 hours if not treated and usually requires the sufferer to have bed rest. To make matters worse, even after the pains have decreased the sufferer is still left weak from the episode and unable to carry on normal tasks for quite a while.

The frequency of attacks between sufferers is not consistent with some only having one episode a year. A number of the symptoms associated with this condition resemble those seen in people with other common complaints. Migraine can affect people from as young as ten and up to the age of forty; although it is unusual for the condition to afflict anyone over the age of fifty.

It is not uncommon for a number of family members to share a migraine headache problem and hereditary links are believed to exist; if there is a genetic reason for the attacks, medical science has not yet found this link. It is pressure from inflamed blood vessels that places pressure on the nerves near the brain that actually causes the awful pain. Science cannot as yet explain why this condition is more likely to affect women than men but women have a three times greater chance of having the condition than men; only about eight percent of men will have an attack in their lives so it is very much a condition that affects women.

A number of people have a warning when they are about to have an attack which is called migraine with aura which can be anywhere between ten minutes to half an hour before the actual attack. A number of different warning signs have been exhibited as shown below:

* Sickness
* Blinking or zigzagging lights
* Reduction in the sensations of taste
* Problems speaking

this is only a short list as other symptoms are also experienced. However, the condition that’s most common is a migraine without aura where the pain increases in one area of the head; this also includes nausea which can be aggravated by movement, noise and light which is the reason most sufferers lie quietly on a bed in a darkened room.

At the moment the theory that blood vessels leading to the brain become narrower and affect the nerves is the closest science has come to discovering the cause of migraines. This narrowing of vessels then leads to an expansion and this pressure change may be the reason for the headache; it can actually incapacitate the victim so they cannot perform even routine tasks. The range of possible triggers that create an attack is huge; the most common are listed below:

* Bad weather
* Certain food groups
* Traveling in a plane
* Drinks containing caffeine
* Strong bright lights
* Not enough sleep
* Tension

Sufferers need to monitor events that lead up to an attack if they hope to prevent them wherever possible.

A migraine is a form of very painful and long lasting head pain, quite unlike a normal headache which can start in people in their formative years. Normally lasting for a couple of hours or more when medication is administered, most are normally felt just on one side of the head but can affect someone for many days if they haven’t taken anything to ease the pain. Most sufferers will confirm just how tiring an attack is even once it has passed.

One thing that is still unknown is why some people have much more frequent attacks than others. Some symptoms could easily be associated with other illnesses like influenza for example. What isn’t understood is why migraines can start at an age as early as ten but normally stop before someone reaches the age of forty; strangely, very few individuals suffer with this condition after they reach fifty years old.

Whilst family groups are known to share attacks, so far there has been a problem finding a genetic trait that links certain family members to migraines; whilst genetic factors may be involved, this link has yet to be proved. Sufferers may acquire sensitivity to a medical condition that brings about inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves near the brain, resulting to pain. There are three women to each man that suffer with this condition; only one in twelve men will experience an attack in their lives.

Another symptom that is not consistent is those people that know when they are going to have an attack anything up to 30 minutes before it happens; this sensation is called migraine with aura owing to the type of feeling they experience. A number of different warning signs have been exhibited as shown below:

* Feeling of sickness
* Enlarged blind spots
* Loss in the sensation of taste
* Problems with speech

other symptoms exist but these appear to common with most people. However, the condition that’s most common is a migraine without aura where the pain increases in one area of the head; this also includes nausea which can be aggravated by movement, noise and light which is the reason most sufferers lie quietly on a bed in a darkened room.

The current belief is that the blood vessels close to the brain might contract, increasing pressure which may cause the migraine with aura experience. It might be that it is the expansion of the blood vessels afterwards that causes the headache; however, all suffers say the attack knocks them out and they are unable to carry out even the most simple of daily tasks. There are many possible triggers for an attack some of which are shown below:

* Weather
* Particular foodstuffs
* Height
* Particular drinks
* Powerful bright lighting
* Irregular or missed meals
* Stress caused by personal problems

It is therefore a good idea for the victim to see if there is a pattern to the attacks which could then make it easier to avoid them.