Stay in the shade.
(Mike McQuay)
Prevention
Dynamic Balancing Tai Chi is an ideal therapy for
migraine sufferers.
It calms the
nervous system, improves
emotional balance,
exercises the body without
strain
and encourages a more harmonious
relationship with the
world around you.
Genetic
disease
Whilst not as
serious as epilepsy,
migraine is a problem for millions of people worldwide.
Migraine is not a headache, it is a genetic neurological disease.
People who experience migraine have 'attacks' or 'episodes' where a variety
of symptoms become manifest.
A headache can be one symptom of a migraine attack, but some people have
migraine attacks without having a headache.
There are many theories concerning the nature of migraine.
Some researchers believe that migraines are caused by serotonin imbalance and
overly excitable neurons in the brain.
A migraine attack typically has four stages:
Warning signs
Aura
Headache
After effects
Warning signs
When an attack commences,
there are usually warning signs that you can act upon.
Warning signs can
include: a sense of foreboding, food cravings, depression, excitability,
hyperactivity, irritability,
tiredness and yawning.
If you can stay relaxed when the warning signs occur, it is possible to
reduce the effect of the episode.
Anxiety is natural, but it is essential to stay calm.
Go home immediately, close all of the curtains, switch off electrical
devices that hum and take medication at once.
Avoid moving if possible.
Aura
The aura is a severe visual disturbance also known as 'scintillating scotoma'.
It is a blind spot.
A variety of symptoms usually accompany the aura: partial paralysis,
confusion, vertigo, 'pins & needles' or tingling in the
hands and face, speech problems, hypersensitivity to light, sound and
touch.
If you experience these symptoms, you may be suffering from a 'classical
migraine'.
Headache
After about an hour of preceding symptoms, the pain
arrives.
The pain is so intense that any form of physical movement worsens the
effect.
It pulses in rhythm with your heartbeat.
The preceding symptoms usually continue along with the actual headache, and
are now accompanied by vomiting, severe anxiety, and emotional imbalance.
This phase of the attack can last up to three days and differs according to
the individual.
After effects
People often experience after effects that last for days
after a migraine attack.
Lethargy, mood swings (euphoria or depression) are common, in addition to
poor concentration and comprehension.
Symptoms
Aiming to relieve the symptoms of migraine is a Western medical
approach.
Prophylactic drugs may work in certain cases but migraine sufferers tend to
have a very individual experience of the disease, so a general cure is
unlikely to work.
Additionally, many prescription drugs have unforeseen side-effects.
A migraine sufferer does not need to worry about the source of the disease -
it is genetic.
What they can address is the question of what brings it forth. What
triggers the onset of symptoms?
More...
Page created 3 February 2001