Thursday, February 14, 2008

My grain

The little elves that live inside my skull, hacking away with ice picks, are mostly on a break today. Or maybe they're on strike (better working conditions....?).

I am learning a lot about migraines. What the experts call the 'Aura' is lurking just behind my left eye all the time.

What is a migraine?

Usually migraine causes episodes of severe or moderate headache (which is often one-sided and pulsating) lasting from four to 72 hours, accompanied by gastrointestinal upsets, such as nausea and vomiting, and a heightened sensitivity to bright lights and noise. Approximately one third of people who experience migraine get a preceding aura.

And what the heck causes these things??

According to the National Library of Medicine's Medical Encyclopedia, migraine attacks may be triggered by:

  • Allergic reactions
  • Bright lights, loud noises, and certain odors or perfumes
  • Physical or emotional stress
  • Changes in sleep patterns
  • Skipping meals
  • Lack of Water or dehydration
  • Alcohol or caffeine
  • Dealing with the Indian Embassy of Kathmandu
Ah! We have a winner......

3 comments:

Stirling Davenport said...

Caroline, my sympathies! I used to get horrible migraines - mostly in my 40s. The precursors - those flashing lights - and then a day or two of intense pain. I thought it was stress ... then I discovered I was allergic to chocolate! I used to eat a bit of chocolate when I was under stress - and the effects would hit me the next day. Also my eye doctor says migraines are lack of blow flow to the eyes ... drinking hot coffee right away sometimes knocks them out. Good luck!

Sirensongs said...

Thanks Sarasvati...yes, caffeine is a vaso-dilator and helps open up those blocked vessels. Will lay off the chocolate for a while (too bad, cause here they have Dark Toblerone!).

Stirling Davenport said...

Well, I hope you feel better soon ... there's always the "dark room" treatment. Not sure why, but it always made me feel better. By the way, I like your photo gallery.