|
Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches are less common than tension-type headaches. Nevertheless, migraines afflict 25 to 30 million people in the United States alone.
- As many as 6% of all men and up to 18% of all women (about 12% of the population as a whole) experience a migraine headache at some time.
- Roughly three out of four migraine sufferers are female.
- Among the most distinguishing features is the potential disability accompanying the headache pain of a migraine.
- Migraines are felt on one side of the head by about 60% of migraine sufferers, and the pain is typically throbbing in nature.
- Nausea, with or without vomiting, as well as sensitivity to light and sound often accompany migraines.
- An aura --a group of telltale neurologic symptoms--sometimes occurs before the head pain begins. Typically, an aura involves a disturbance in vision that may consist of brightly colored or blinking lights in a pattern that moves across the field of vision.
- About one in five migraine sufferers experiences an aura.
- Usually, migraine attacks are occasional, or sometimes as often as once or twice a week, but not daily
Reprinted from the web site of the American Council for Headache Education (www.achenet.org)
|
|
