Migraine

What is a Migraine?

Migraine is a recurrent headache that causes intense pain. This pain may be in one area of your head and can be accompanied by nausea or vomiting and sensitivity to light and noise.

About one in three people with migraine headaches experience 'aura' before the onset of a migraine. The aura may consist of flashing lights, zig-zag lines or temporary loss of vision.

Causes

While the exact cause of migraines is unknown, it is thought that inflammation in the blood vessels of the brain causes them to swell and press on nearby nerves causing pain.

Treatment

Many individuals with migraine headaches can identify triggers that cause or aggravate the headache. Learning to recognise and avoid triggers may help to lessen the frequency, or severity, of migraine headaches. A handy hint is to keep a diary of the migraines, and everything you did just before it - it may help you come up with your own triggers.

Your Visique optometrist can advise whether colour-tinted lenses may be helpful in preventing the onset of migraines.