Migranes Up Women's Stroke, Heart Risks

Migraine is a type of recurring pain in the head that involves blood vessels, nerves and brain chemicals. It is a pulsating pain which rips through the head. It is a repetitive life spoiling pain.

The common manifestations of a migraine are that it is typically on one side of the head; usually causes nausea, muscle stiffness, dizziness, diarrhea, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.

People suffering from migraine dread crowded areas, the stress of the day or even the blinding sunlight.

The exact cause of migraine is still not very clear but a genetic predisposition and environmental factors are now known to be leading triggers that lead the process in motion.

Stress too, is believed to one of the causes; but lack of sleep, skipping meals, menstruation and medication-particularly hormonal preparations also induce migraines. Women going through their menopause are at more risk of having a migraine attack.

Acidity,gastritis,oily or spicy food, long journeys, constipation, enclosure in stuffy spaces strong odours, alcohol, excess of emotions, heavy exercise, or even altitude and weather changes set off migraines.

Migraine is seen mostly in women in the age group of 40 to 50, but recent findings have indicated there is an alarming rise in its incidence in the younger age groups as well. Women with these headaches outnumber men by about three to one.

It is very difficult for few people to know the difference between tension headache and migraines. Tension headache is a more steady pain over the entire head rather than throbbing pain in one spot. Migraines happen once in a while but tension headaches can occur almost everyday.

A research conducted over the span of 10 years on 27,840 nurses and other female professionals, between the age group of 45 years and above, showed that the females who suffered migraines were more likely to have heart attacks and strokes in comparison to those who did not. It was quite possible that these women might die of cardiovascular diseases.

The research was conducted by dividing them into three groups on the basis of the frequency of migraine. These are less than monthly; monthly, or one or more than a week. Cholesterol levels and details of the occurrence were also collected.

The study concluded that women who had migraine once or more in a week had nearly three times more chances of having a heart problem than those who had no migraines.

Women who had migraines less than one a month were one and a half times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke but the women with migraines once in a month were at no risk.

The exact reason about the association between migraine and cardiovascular problem is still not known. The only plausible reason can be elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and other things that lead to dangerous narrowing of arteries. It’s possible that migraine may be a characteristic that identifies people at increased risk of progressive atherosclerosis," a thickening of the inner layer of arterydefine walls that impairs blood flow.

Meanwhile it is advised that those who suffer from the head pains and lights to build up their defenses against heart disease and stroke the same way that everyone else can, by not smoking; keeping blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and weight down; eating plenty of fruit, vegetables, and grains; and exercising.