Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Migraine Headache

Migraine headache is a vascular-nervous condition in which a person experiences headaches on one side or both sides of the head. This is caused by temporary enlargement of a blood vessel or an artery that supplies blood to the head, for instance, the temporal artery. The blood vessels are usually coiled with nerve endings. When the enlargement occurs, this usually stretches the nerve endings. When the nerve fibers are stretched, the body immune system reacts by sending chemicals of inflammation. The chemicals cause swelling, pain and a further enlargement of the blood vessel.

The enlargement occurs when the blood vessel is hardened at some point and when blood reaches the hardened part, it begins to accumulate and the elastic part of the vessel just before the hardened area balloons with blood. The hardening of the vessel may be due to effects of smoking or high salt intakes among others. The hardening of the blood vessels is referred to as atheroma or atherosclerosis.

The migraine attack results due to sudden deformation of the blood vessels which prompts the nervous system to react. Embolism and blood clot may also block a blood artery and cause the vessel to bulge and stretch the nerve endings. Embolism occurs when calcium plaques or cholesterol that is attached to the walls of the arteries break up and is transported by the blood to block a vessel that supplies the head with blood. When the vessels are blocked, blood accumulates just before the blocked session of the artery and it balloons out. This then stretches the nerve endings triggering the immune system to react by sending the inflammation chemicals.

A blood clot and especially from the heart chambers may detach itself from the walls of the chambers and is transported by the blood. When it reaches a smaller vessel it's trapped and blocks the blood flow. This implies that the incoming blood accumulates and the vessel bulge out stretching the nerve fibers.

The symptoms of migraine headache include; blurred vision, sensitivity of sound, nausea, vomiting and headache on one side or both side of the head. There is also sensitivity of eyes to light. There is a cognitive and thinking disturbance. Vertigo

(Dizziness), cold hands and feet are often experienced. It's worthy while noting that nervous activity in the body affects the intestines and this results to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. This is called the symphatic nervous activity. There is often a delayed emptying of the digested food to the small intestines for absorption and this prompts the vomiting.

The treatment of migraine headache is aimed at reducing or stopping inflammation by administering anti-inflammatory drugs. Also medication includes the reduction of the deformation of blood vessels through hardening and narrowing. The medication also stops clotting of vessels by using anti-thrombosis drugs such as aspirin.