Ophthalmoplegic Migraine

A migraine is a throbbing headache or throbbing, which is often on one side (unilateral) and associated with nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, sounds, smells, sleep disturbance and depression. Attacks are often recurrent and tend to be less severe than migraine ages.

Types

Migraines are classified according to the symptoms they produce. The two most common types are migraine with aura and migraine without aura. Less common types are: basilar artery migraine, Carotidynia without headache, migraine ophthalmoplegic, migraine State.

Some women have migraines just before or during menstruation. These headaches, which are called menstrual migraines, may be related to hormonal changes and often do not occur during pregnancy. Other women develop migraines for the first time during pregnancy or after menopause.

Incidence and prevalence

Migraines afflict about 24 million people in the United States. They can occur at any age but usually begin between the ages of 10 and 40 and to decrease after 50 years. Some people experience headaches several months, while others have only a few migraines throughout their lives. Approximately 75% of migraine sufferers are women.

Cases

The cause of migraine is unknown. The condition can result from a series of reactions in the central nervous system caused by changes in the body or the environment. There is often a family history of disease, suggesting that migraine sufferers may inherit sensitivity to triggers that produce inflammation in blood vessels and nerves in the brain, causing pain.

Signs and symptoms

migraine pain is often described as throbbing or pulsating pain that is intensified by routine physical activity, coughing, straining, or lowering the head. The headache is often so strong that it interferes with daily activity and may awaken the person. The attack is debilitating, and migraine sufferers often feel tired and weak once the headache has passed.

A migraine typically begins in a specific area on one side of the head, then spreads and reinforces the strength of 1 to 2 hours, then gradually. It may take up to 24 hours, and in some cases for several days.

For more information, visit the Migraine Info Center http://www.migraineinfocenter.com