A migraine headache can come with and without auras although neither is less painful than the other. The biggest difference is that migraines without an aura may be less stressful and frightening. While migraines are often associated with auras, the reality is that only about twenty percent of sufferers actually experience any symptoms. The aura stage is part of the complex migraine, following the prodome stage. The aura stage usually lasts less than half an hour and its symptoms and effects can vary tremendously from one migraine sufferer to the next. Depending upon how extreme these symptoms get, the aura stage can become something quite horrifying, like a bad dream or, worse, a movie sequence of a bad dream.
Last year, the International Headache Society published a study that found "overuse" of over the counter medicines as a major contributing factor to frequent migraine headache attacks. "Overuse has less to do with how many pills you take to relieve a single headache than with how often you take them," explains Dr. Robert Kunkel, a headache specialist at the Cleveland Clinic Headache Center. "If you get more than two headaches a week and take pain pills for them, you're at risk." Studies showed that pain relievers with caffeine, like Excedrin, were some of the worst culprits for exacerbating proclivity to migraines.
Suffering from migraine headaches can be very difficult because of the severity and intensity of pain that accompany them. There are two good medications that are commonly used for treating migraines: ergot and midrin. However, any migraine headache medication that contains these compounds come with some serious side effects that every migraine sufferer needs to be aware of.
Ergots are a class of compounds that are similar to triptans. Technically, ergots are referred to as 5-HT1B/1D agaonists. Ergots work by blocking natural biochemicals from getting to the nerve receptors. Ergots also work well for many people who suffer from migraine headaches. Studies show that you should be careful when using ergots even though they are relatively safe. They do have a higher risk of side effects compared to other triptans, including Maxalt and Zomig.
A migraine headache is a severe type of headache that interrupts your ability to continue routine or daily activities. Common migraine headache symptoms include throbbing pain near the temple, nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to both light and sound. More than 28 million people worldwide suffer from migraine headaches, which roughly computes to about 10% of the world's population. Most people who suffer from migraines are women, but men, teenagers and even young children can suffer from them as well.
