Migraine Headache Research Paper

Jaquelyn Ballentine HE 101 Blua 10 November 2008 Migraine headaches

What are migraine headaches? Where do they come from? How can you help prevent them? Migraine headaches cannot really just be simplified down to just one classification. There are many determining factors when classifying one. One type of migraine is a migraine without aura; this
Therefore, what is experienced before, during, and after a migraine cannot be exactly defined. There are about 4 phases 1. The prodrome, which occurs hours or days before the headache, 2. The aura, which immediately precedes the headache, 3. The pain phase, also known as the headache phase, and 4. The postdrome. The pendrome phase: prodromal symptoms occur in 40-60% of all migraine sufferers. This phase may consist of altered mood, irritability, depression or euphoria, fatigue, yawning, excessive sleepiness, craving for certain foods (chocolate), stiff muscles (especially in the neck), constipation or diarrhea, increased urination, and other visceral symptoms. These symptoms occur usually between hours and days before the headache. Next is the pain phase. The typical migraine is unilateral, throbbing, and moderate to severe and can be aggravated by physical activity. Though the pain may be bilateral at the onset or start on one side and become generalized. These can last anywhere from 4-72 hours in adults and from about 1-48 hours in children. The frequency of these migraines is extremely variable, from few in an entire life time to several times in a week. Te head pain also varies greatly in
Patients often find that the recommended migraine treatments are not 100% effective at preventing migraines, and sometimes may not be affective at all. Once all diagnostic information has been collected and reviewed, then the best course of action can be determined. Whether that may be drugs or simple rest; the treatment varies greatly for each patient so as of right now there is no exact treatment for migraine headaches. Thorough research is being done, and many of the experiments that are being tested are on new drugs to better treat these symptoms. Throughout my family history many of my family members have bean diagnosed with migraine headaches so I have quite an idea of what these “patients” are going through, seeing as I am one of them. These migraine headaches are extremely painful and can take you away from normal activities such as going outside because the bright light, watching TV because of the noise, or even just studying because of the nerves and other things inside your brain that can have an affect on the migraine. Many treatments have been prescribed to chronic migraine sufferers in my family, but everyone still has yet to find one that has worked efficiently. This is a problem that needs to be fixed. That is one of the main reasons that I plan to pursue my career in becoming a neurosurgeon. The fact that I am a migraine sufferer has an enormous