A migraine is a neurovascular disorder which is said to be one of the world's most disabling medical illnesses. A migraine occurs when Carla Bruegel, a stereotactic radiosurgery nurse at the Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, reports that in the United States, over 28 million adults suffer from migraines. In this article Bruegel seeks to answer what triggers a migraine, the different phases of a migraine and identifies and analyzes treatments that are available to patients with different levels of severity and migraine types. .
A migraine is caused when the blood vessels in the brain and head first shrink and then swell. This irritates the blood vessel wall and as a result creates pain. Women are more likely to have migraines than men, which is possibly due to women's changing estrogen levels. reasearchers believe that migraines are genetic. Other possibilities include changes in certain hormones like prostaglandin (a pressure-like substance that may affect blood pressure) or endorphin (reduces the sensation of pain and affects emotions). Bruegel identifies four phases of a migraine attack. The first stage is called a prodrome. This may cause "a change in mood, energy level, concentration, or mental processing." Some people also crave certain foods while others experience anorexia. In some cases there is an increase in yawning, thirst, urination and diarrhea. The second stage is the aura, or warning sign that a migraine is going to occur. This includes visual disturbances like seeing bright spots or sensory disturbances like numbness in one on side of the body. The headache phase is when the actual migraine occurs and is described as a throbbing pain on one side in 60% of the cases. In this stage, people are often extra sensitive to light and sound and may experience nausea and vomiting. Migraines may last for a few hours or several days. The final stage is called the postdrome, in which the pain begins to fade.
