What You Should Know About Migraine

Migraine commonly called sick headache has an age-old history dating back to the ancient Greeks. The name is believed to be derived from the Greek word emikrania, meaning "half head," which became mikrania and eventually migraine. The complaint is widespread, usually beginning some time around puberty and lessening in late middle age. Migraine is more common in women, and often more than one member of a family suffers from it.

Certain features distinguish migraine from other types of headache. It is limited to one side of the head, recurs periodically, and for each person follows a rather consistent pattern, so that it can often be predicted where the headache will begin, how severe it will be, and how long it will last. The headache is described as a throbbing, aching pain, limited to the forehead, temple, or back of the head. In some cases it seems to arise from the back of the upper teeth and strikes the face and the area below the eye, or it may spread behind the angle of the jaw, reaching down the neck and into the shoulders. This pattern of pain is often accompanied by an unusual throbbing in the neck. In some instances the first symptoms are not confined to the head, but instead the person will suffer pain in the abdomen, chest, or arm, or an attack of vomiting or diarrhea, or a passing fever. A frequent accompaniment to the migraine headache is a disturbance in vision, which may take the form of temporary blindness, blinding flashes of light, or a general blurring of vision. These symptoms disappear as the headache abates.

Migraine, primarily a tension headache, is believed to result from continued muscle contraction which causes distention of blood vessels in the brain. The general tightening of the body associated with anxiety and emotional tension contributes in most cases to the preliminary symptoms - the tingling sensations in the hands and feet, the impairment of vision, and noises in the ears or mental depression.

In the treatment of migraine, much emphasis is now placed on prevention of the attack. At the first indication of its approach, steps are taken to avert the headache or reduce its severity. Complete quite, a dark room, hot or cold applications to the hand and hot-water bottle at the feet are often helpful. Aspirin and ordinary anelgesics give little or no relief once the headache has begun. Histamine and intramuscular injections of ergotamine tartrate, administrated by physician, have been effective.

The psychological factor is of primary significance in treatment of migraine. The patient must feel that he is receiving the best possible care and that his physician has a thorough understanding of those emotional factors in his background and environment which may be at the root of his condition. Patients with migraine headaches almost invariably fit into a common pattern. They are tense, driving, rigid in their standards, conscientious, and constantly striving for perfection. The treatment of migraine must include and evaluate all the factors that may give rise to the disorder. The patient must be made to understand the nature of his drives and how these create frustration and anxiety. Psychotherapy, a long-term project in these cases, has yielded fruitful results and promises to be even more successful in the future.

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