Migraine in adults
What will happen to me?
If you suffer from migraines, you are likely to get them regularly. But how often different people get attacks varies a lot.
The average is just over one attack a month. But at least 1 person in 10 will get an attack every week. And 1 person in 5
will have attacks that last two or three days.
1
Source:
Goadsby PJ, Lipton RB, Ferrari MD.
Migraine: current understanding and treatment.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2002; 346: 257-270.
Goadsby PJ, Lipton RB, Ferrari MD.
Migraine: current understanding and treatment.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2002; 346: 257-270.
If you have two or more migraine attacks each month, or if your attacks are very bad or last for a few days, you may want
to ask your doctor about medication to prevent attacks. To learn more, see Treatments to prevent migraines.
You may also want to keep a diary of your migraine attacks. This will help you and your doctor track how often you have attacks and how long they last. It will make it easier to decide
which treatment may be best for you.
When you have an attack, your headache will usually last from four to 72 hours. Your headache will gradually get better whether
or not you have any treatment, but most people take medicine so they can get over the attack more quickly.
If you are a woman, then you may get fewer migraine attacks as you get older. About two-thirds of women who have migraine
get better when they reach
menopause.
2 This may be because certain female
hormones are linked to migraine, and hormone levels change after menopause.
menopause
When a woman stops having periods, it is called menopause. This usually happens around the age of 50.
When a woman stops having periods, it is called menopause. This usually happens around the age of 50.
Source:
Neri I, Granella F, Nappi R, et al.
Characteristics of headache at menopause: a clinico-epidemiologic study.
Maturitas. 1993; 17: 31-37.
Neri I, Granella F, Nappi R, et al.
Characteristics of headache at menopause: a clinico-epidemiologic study.
Maturitas. 1993; 17: 31-37.
hormones
Hormones are chemicals that are made in certain parts of the body. They travel through the bloodstream and have an effect on other parts of the body. For example, the female sex hormone estrogen is made in a woman's ovaries. Estrogen has many different effects on a woman's body. It makes the breasts grow at puberty and helps control periods. It is also needed to get pregnant.
Hormones are chemicals that are made in certain parts of the body. They travel through the bloodstream and have an effect on other parts of the body. For example, the female sex hormone estrogen is made in a woman's ovaries. Estrogen has many different effects on a woman's body. It makes the breasts grow at puberty and helps control periods. It is also needed to get pregnant.
If you get migraine attacks, you may be more likely than other people to develop other conditions. You may have heard that
you are more likely to have
strokes or fits (also called seizures). But there isn't very good evidence for this theory. It may be that if you have epilepsy (a
condition that causes seizures), you are more likely to have migraines. Because the research isn't good, we can't say for
certain how these conditions are related.
stroke
You have a stroke when the blood supply to a part of your brain is cut off. This damages your brain and can cause symptoms like weakness or numbness on one side of your body. You may also find it hard to speak if you've had a stroke.
You have a stroke when the blood supply to a part of your brain is cut off. This damages your brain and can cause symptoms like weakness or numbness on one side of your body. You may also find it hard to speak if you've had a stroke.
There is some evidence that women who are under 45 and who get migraine attacks may be at a higher risk of having a stroke.
The research comes from studies comparing people who have had strokes with those who haven't.
3
Source:
Tietjen GE.
The relationship of migraine and stroke.
Neuroepidemiology. 2000; 19: 13-19.
Tietjen GE.
The relationship of migraine and stroke.
Neuroepidemiology. 2000; 19: 13-19.
Generally, doctors advise women who have migraines not to smoke. Doctors also advise women who take the birth-control pill
to choose one with the lowest possible dose of
estrogen. If you are a young woman who gets migraine, you may want to talk with your doctor about your risk of having a stroke.
estrogen
Estrogen is the name given to three female sex hormones: oestradiol, oestrone and oestriol. Estrogen causes women's sexual development during puberty: it is needed to develop breasts, have periods and get pregnant. Estrogen is also thought to affect women's health in other ways. It may influence their mood, cholesterol levels and how their bones grow. Men have very low levels of estrogen in their bodies, but doctors aren't completely sure what it does. Estrogen is an important ingredient in most types of contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy.
Estrogen is the name given to three female sex hormones: oestradiol, oestrone and oestriol. Estrogen causes women's sexual development during puberty: it is needed to develop breasts, have periods and get pregnant. Estrogen is also thought to affect women's health in other ways. It may influence their mood, cholesterol levels and how their bones grow. Men have very low levels of estrogen in their bodies, but doctors aren't completely sure what it does. Estrogen is an important ingredient in most types of contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy.
People who don't get migraine attacks don't always understand how terrible these attacks can be. They may think you are making
a fuss if you miss work because of a headache or you have to rest in a darkened room. Yet a survey carried out by the World
Health Organization rated severe migraines as one of the most disabling long-term disorders that someone can have.
1
Source:
Goadsby PJ, Lipton RB, Ferrari MD.
Migraine: current understanding and treatment.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2002; 346: 257-270.
Goadsby PJ, Lipton RB, Ferrari MD.
Migraine: current understanding and treatment.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2002; 346: 257-270.
It's not just the pain of the migraine attack that you have to cope with. Many people with migraine feel tired or "washed
out" after an attack. These feelings can carry on for some time after the pain has gone.
To help your friends and family learn more about migraines, you may want to show them some of the information in this article.
Another large study shows that most people can't carry on with normal activities during a migraine attack. More than half
said their severe headaches stopped them from working or doing household tasks or meant they had to stay in bed.
4
Source:
Mannix LK.
Epidemiology and impact of primary headache disorders.
Medical Clinics of North America. 2001; 85: 887-895.
Mannix LK.
Epidemiology and impact of primary headache disorders.
Medical Clinics of North America. 2001; 85: 887-895.
Sources for the information on this page:
- Goadsby PJ, Lipton RB, Ferrari MD.Migraine: current understanding and treatment.New England Journal of Medicine. 2002; 346: 257-270.
- Neri I, Granella F, Nappi R, et al.Characteristics of headache at menopause: a clinico-epidemiologic study.Maturitas. 1993; 17: 31-37.
- Tietjen GE.The relationship of migraine and stroke.Neuroepidemiology. 2000; 19: 13-19.
- Mannix LK.Epidemiology and impact of primary headache disorders.Medical Clinics of North America. 2001; 85: 887-895.
This information was last updated on May 12, 2009
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
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