How Biology Plays A Part In Migraines

 

About 30 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches every year. Imagine the toll it takes on the global population. Since it exhibits a tendency to be transmitted from generation to generation, you have a 50 % chance of deveopling migraine if one of your parents had it. This risk increases to 75 % if both your parents had this disorder. One more thing that you should know is that women are more common sufferers of migraine.

And yes, you may suffer from migraine even when you are as young as 10 years!

Migraine, is a condition in which the blood vessels and nerves around the brain get inflamed. A number of theories which try to explain this inflammation exist. Some of them postulate that a series of reactions takes place in the central nervous system due to a change in the body or environment. Or then again, such people may have inherited triggers from their family members.

Some theories state that it is the blood vessels, which expand and contract causing the unbearable pain associated with migraine. The narrowing of the blood vessels causes dizziness and even problems with vision. However, when the blood vessels expand, they put pressure on the nearby nerves thus causing immense pain.

Another theory suggests that there is an interruption in the messages sent from one cell to another to narrow or expand the blood vessels. This is actually what causes the pain. Some studies have also tried to find a link between epilepsy and migraine.

Whatever the cause, the fact remains that migraine is an unbearable headache, which can either be hereditary or be caused by various factors.


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