The second most common headache disorder is migraine headache. It’s characterized by a throbbing sensation that can range in intensity from mild to severe. It can also be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and altered bodily perceptions. A woman is three times more likely to experience migraine symptoms than a man.
The Numbers
However, it can also affect children, young adults, the elderly, and children. According to the National Headache Foundation, about 3/4 of migraine sufferers have a history of migraine. In the United States alone, there are 32,000,000 (thirty two million) migraine sufferers. This is approximately 10% of the total population. There are approximately 300-400 million to 400 million migraine sufferers around the world.
Each day, there are approximately 20,000,000 cases of migraine headaches. Migraine attacks can be caused by many things, including medications that cause blood vessels swelling, missing or delaying meals, altering the cycle of sleep-wake, certain foods, stress, bright lights, loud noises, depression, and many other factors. In any given year, between 14% and 35% of adult females and between 6% to 15% of adult males will experience at least one episode of migraines.
Did You Know?
Migraines will affect a smaller number of children younger than 12 years old. The same percentage occurs in boys and girls. Girls will experience a greater incidence of migraines once they reach puberty than boys. About 25% of women will experience migraines at some point in their lives, compared to 10% for men.
Most migraine sufferers will experience remission by the age of 50. However, 5% of those still suffering from migraine symptoms by age 70. There are many ways to treat migraine. The most common is painkillers.
Side Effects
Drugs are not the only option, and may not be the best. Side effects can be serious and some drugs can have very serious side effects. Painkillers can also increase the pain intensity rather than relieving it. Two-thirds (33%) of chronic headache sufferers will experience an increase in their pain symptoms after taking painkillers. Research has shown that chronic pain can be promoted by analgesics (also known as painkillers medications). They may not be relieving migraine headache pain that they were intended to eliminate, but they could actually be contributing to it.
Natural Ways
Natural remedies for migraine headache pain are gaining popularity. More migraine sufferers are choosing safer treatments over potentially addictive or harmful drugs. There are many natural treatments that can be used to treat migraine headaches.