What Are Migraines From?

Written and verified by Holly Hazen

What are migraines? What are they from... exactly? They're not just painful headaches – they have a host of multiple symptoms that are disabling and can last for days, weeks or months... sometimes forever.

Migraine is a lifelong condition for most of us and I would add: unpredictable, intense, life altering and soul destroying. The answer is... all of the above. Did you get it right?

The World Health Organization (WHO) rates migraine as a leading cause of disability worldwide. The statistics vary a little, but overall: 18 percent of women; 6 - 8 percent of men; and 2 percent of children will experience migraine in their lifetime.

An astounding number once added up. And it is global. No one culture escapes this condition. There is no known cure in the history of migraine. The theories have changed over the years, there has been great debate over what are migraines?

What you need to know it that it's not just the pain phase, there's a whole process your body goes through before even getting to the pain phase.

What are migraines from... a dilation of your blood vessels?

It was first believed that a dilation of blood vessels within the head caused the migraine attack.

Then the theory was discovered that perhaps the process was related to primarily a neurological dysfunction, and was somehow caused by overactivity of the nerves.

The Greeks used to drill holes in people's skulls to relieve pressure, thank goodness we are past that barbaric form of finding relief.

So... yes that's part of it... but let's take a look at the whole process start to finish.

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Here's what neuroscience currently believes 

What are migraines actually from then? Here's what Neuroscientists currently believe:

•  It starts with a trigger – could be any trigger: food, food allergies, other allergies, weather changes, hormone changes, smoke, perfume. Please click on these links to read more about migraine headache triggers or the most common migraine triggers.

•  Spreading excitation – also called "spreading depression" or a "nerve storm" which is explained as a wave that slowly spreads across the outer layers of the brain (cortex). The electrical charge carried by brain neurons sends signals to each other during normal brain activity.

In migraine they rapidly discharge some of their electrical charge via negative ions. This is considered a dysfunction. Now that was technical! I would just interpret that to read as an overactive reaction in your brain and nervous system. There's a bit more to understand in order to answer the question what is migraine from... correctly.

•  Off balance chemical brain messengers - all this over excitement causes the chemicals to become unbalanced.

•  Blood vessels dilate – a disturbed blood flow to the brain causes the arteries to constrict and then dilate.

•  Over stimulates nerves in brain – according to Migraine for Dummies "the communication between neurotransmitter and brain cells (neurons) breaks down, and the levels of serotonin and other brain-messenger chemicals fluctuate – a big problem for your body, because serotonin plays a role in your ability to feel pain" (pg.53).

•  The Pain signal is sent from the top of the brain back to the brain stem. And the reaction cycle continues.

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What are migraines from... Epilepsy? 

I've read that the fascia tissue swells creating pressure around the brain causing pain, similar to meningitis.

Some physicians have compared the similarities between migraine to epilepsy. They have that similar wave of over activity spreading across the brain. I have read that the people who seizure bypass the pain part of migraine and that we get stuck in the pain part and don't fully go into the seizure. 

Epilepsy and migraines are separate medical issues, but they are both neurological brain disorders with attacks, and they often respond to similar classes of medications.

I said it was complicated! What are migraines then? Something we should take seriously. 

There's a good chance that you've already noticed how underrated and misunderstood migraine disorder still is in society. This complex unpredictable neurological medical condition is not just the intense pain phase, it's a chain reaction that sets off a whole cascade of biological events.

It means a lifetime of multiple symptoms that are disabling and can often be life altering.

What does a migraine feel like?

Ok... this is a tough question to answer... because migraines can feel different to you then they do to me. For me it's the combination of disabling symptoms and then the pain phase hits like a tsunami. I rate my pain at about 200 out of 10 just fyi!

And for you it might be the disabling fatigue that renders you unconscious.

Or you might experience paralysis down one side, with no pain... 

Here are a few more details for you to better answer the question for yourself of what does a migraine feel like... they are the most common features defined by The International Headache Society (IHS).

The IHS defines migraine attacks as having at least two to four of these features:

• Pain affecting one side of the head only

• Pulsating in quality

• Moderate or severe in intensity

• Aggravated by exertion
  
  

As well as: nausea, with or without vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sound, or smell. And in my case – visual disturbance. Or a combination of any or all of those symptoms.

The problem in defining "what are migraines" is that the nature of the attack varies so much from person to person and can change from one episode to another in the same individual. In fact, you could experience that no two migraines are the same.

I know my symptoms have changed over the years in patterns and places on the body and they continue to change. They vary from milder to more severe attacks, although on average they are mostly severe. My newest symptoms are visual disturbances with blank spots, zigzags, shimmering and more noticeable silver lightning bolts.

Thankfully the mood swings have calmed down significantly over the years, as I have slowly come to accept this lifelong condition and learned some new coping skills. Before the attack you might experience:

• depression

• anger

• outbursts of crying
  
  

There was a time when I had no pain abortives, 14 years or so, where the pain was so intense that I could not detect the more subtle warning symptoms my body was sending me. It was just a short time before it all went straight to the PAIN phase. I fell into a pit of depression. Don't let this happen - click here if you'd like some help with overwhelming emotions. 

There is no age that migraine specifically can start to occur in your life. Some people develop migraine in their 50’s and others as children. Whenever it happens I strongly recommend you find a migraine doctor or specialist you can work with. Not all neurologists or doctors have sufficient experience to deal effectively with migraines.

How to keep hope alive despite migraines

How do you keep hope alive when you have chronic migraines or a chronic illness? What does hope even mean? Is it wishing life was just the same as before you became ill? My dear friend says that “hope is a belief in a positive outcome. A positive outcome, not necessarily the one you expected or asked for.”

Focus on what you can do between migraines. Your outlook and how you perceive things counts.

You are important. Having migraines does not diminish who you are or what you want to do with your life. It just interrupts it all.

Some of our greatest humans in history became great despite having migraines. We currently have more help available then they ever did.

When you find yourself getting frustrated around trying to define what are migraines, distract yourself and do something fun, even if it’s for 5 minutes. Laugh or talk to someone like a professional counselor for migraine advice that can help.

You don’t have to do it all alone.

Here are 3 things you can do right now:

• Get my eBook on Amazon for a step by step process that will help reduce stress and anxiety in your life. It's 4 sessions of 'therapy' for less than $10!

• Enroll for free in my migraine pain management course and watch the whole first module for free. You will find out about the things you are going to want to do to get your best chance at effectively aborting your next attack.

• Join the mailing list for more ways to manage your migraines and get 5 things you can use every day.
  
  

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