A MIGRAINE HEADACHE is an intense,
throbbing or boring pain in one part of the head that is usually accompanied by
nausea or vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound or smell, and fatigue. Migraines usually last between four and
seventy two hours.
About one third of migraine patients have
so-called CLASSIC MIGRAINE, where their headache is preceded by an AURA, i.e.
some type of sensory warning symptom, such as flickering or flashing lights
similar to static on a television, often taking the shape of zig-zag lines in an arc like the crown of the Statue of Liberty ("fortification scotoma"), blind spots, or numbness or tingling in an
arm or a leg.
Auras always come on GRADUALLY over five to
fifteen minutes, last between five minutes to an hour, and then fade away
SLOWLY.
Roughly one percent of patients have
ACEPHALGIC OR SILENT MIGRAINES, i. e. they experience auras but they do not have any
headache.
Recent studies have shown that people who
suffer from CLASSIC MIGRAINE, i.e. migraine with an aura, are at increased risk
for heart attacks and strokes. These people should reduce their risk by
exercising, eating a healthy diet (low in saturated fats and refined sugars,
and high in fruits and vegetables), maintaining a healthy weight, and not
smoking. Women who have classic migraine should not take contraceptive pills or
supplemental estrogen or progesterone.
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