Migraine Myths
Migraines are extremely common and affect about 10% to 15% of the population. In fact, you probably know several people that suffer from them. Despite the widespread incidence of Migraine, there are probably very few health conditions that are as shrouded in myth, misinformation, and mistreatment as Migraines.
Let’s take a look at this fascinating and misunderstood disorder and dispel a few of the most common myths.
Myth #1: A Migraine is just a bad headache
Migraine is an actual disease. The headache is just one of the symptoms someone may have. Although it’s still not known what causes the process, the Migraine pain is caused when blood vessels in the head start to dilate or expand (vasodilation).
Migraine has many symptoms as it progresses through four distinct phases:
In the Prodromal Phase, which occurs hours or even days before an attack, a person may experience mood swings, irritability, depression, fatigue, cravings for certain food (e.g., chocolate), stiff muscles (especially in the neck), constipation or diarrhea, and other non-specific symptoms. These prodromal symptoms occur in about 40% to 60% of sufferers.
The next phase is the Aural Phase. About 20% to 30% of people experience what’s known as auras. Auras are vision changes that a person may experience, as well as other symptoms not related to your vision like numbness in the face or extremities, light headedness, temporary paralysis and hypersensitivity to touch.
The aura appears gradually over 5 to 20 minutes and generally lasts less than an hour.
The Pain Phase is the phase that’s most associated with Migraines. It’s characterized by a severe throbbing headache on one side of the head. The pain can last between several hours to several days and is aggravated by physical activity.
Nausea occurs in almost 90 percent of cases, while vomiting occurs about one third of the time. Many people experience an extreme sensitivity to light and sound and seek a dark and quiet room. They may have other symptoms like blurred vision, and light-headedness.
In the Postdrome Phase, the person will likely feel tired, “washed out”, and irritable. Often, some of the minor headache phase symptoms may continue.
Myth #2: Migraine is caused by stress
Migraine is a true organic neurological disease. They are brought on by various triggers that cause blood vessels around the brain to dilate. These triggers may be uncontrollable or controllable.
Weather is a good example of an uncontrollable trigger. A recent study concluded that weather, characterized by a drop in barometric pressure, the passing of a warm front, high temperature and humidity and oftentimes rain, is closely associated with higher frequency and severity of Migraine attacks, as is a high humidex index during the summer.
Controllable triggers may include things like bright light, chemical smells, second-hand smoke, particular alcohols, foods that are known vasodilators such as fish, some chocolate, aged cheese, and foods which contain nitrates or MSG.
There is some controversy as to whether stress is an actual trigger. The International Headache Society has moved it from their list of triggers to their list of exacerbating factors on the premise that it doesn’t by itself trigger Migraines, but rather increases susceptibility to other triggers.
For example, when you’re stressed, you’re more likely to “catch a cold”. It’s not stress that causes the cold; it’s the cold virus. The stress just makes you more vulnerable to the virus. Likewise, stress and migraine may have the same kind of relationship.
Whether it’s a trigger or an exacerbating factor, it is still important as a Migraine sufferer to minimize your stress and reduce your susceptibility to headaches. Massage can be an excellent way to manage your stress and stay relaxed.
The International Journal of Neuroscience reported one study where participants received two short massages to their neck, shoulders and head weekly for five weeks. The massaged participants reported fewer sleep disturbances and headaches. Almost 60% of them went the entire month headache free, as opposed to 40% of the control group.
Myth #3: Migraine is simply a nuisance
Most people do not understand the serious nature of Migraines. Migraines are not only a nuisance for those who live with the condition; they are disabling and can cause a variety of serious health problems including: strokes, aneurysms, permanent visual loss, severe dental problems, coma and even death.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Migraine is ranked as one of the top twenty causes of years of healthy life lost to disability.
What most people don’t know is that migraine is highly related to stroke. The British Medical Journal evaluated major Migraine and stroke studies in the U.S. and Canada and concluded that migraine sufferers have 2.2 times greater risk for stroke than the non-migraine population. That risk goes up to a staggering 8 times more stroke risk for women migraine sufferers on the pill.
Sidebar: The World Health Organization ranks Migraine as one of the top twenty causes of years of healthy life lost to disability.
