If you happen to be a victim of constant headaches, you are not alone. Headaches, especially migraines are attacks of moderate or even severe pain that occur as a result of specific alterations in one’s brain. However not all headaches are migraines and given below are some of the main indications and symptoms of a migraine.

Major symptoms of migraine

• Nausea and sometimes even vomiting
• Throbbing pain in the eyes
• Extreme sensitiveness to sound and light
• A pain similar to a kind of severe pounding that occurs normally on one side of the head
• Blind spots

Common triggers of migraine
While the cause of migraine headaches cannot be clearly identified in some people, the most common culprits of a migraine include:

• Rooms filled with smoke of any kind
• Flickering or bright lights
• Allergic reactions
• Dehydration
• Passive or active smoking
• Physical stress like fatigue, exercise or jet lag
• Irregular sleep patterns
• Hormonal alterations like fluctuations in menstrual cycle, menopause or ingestion of birth control tablets
• Tension headaches

Treatment for Migraines

• Normally migraine is treated with either prescription medications or over the counter pills. Common medications include Frova, Axert, Imitrex, Sumav, Zolmitripan and Maxalt, etc.
• It is found that alterations in diet and lifestyle and regular exercise can aid the lowering of the frequency of these migraine attacks.
• Steering clear of foods that trigger migraine attacks is also a good move to combat migraines.
• It has also been proven that drinking caffeinated beverages in small quantities can provide commendable relief during the primary stages.
• Temperature therapy, both cold and hot compresses on the neck and head are found to provide a numbing effect that will help to relax the tensed muscles. Even having hot baths are found to provide relief to the pain.
• Relaxing in a dark room with lights off and without any sound disturbances is found to be quite helpful in relief from pain.
• Acupuncture is also a good alternative to provide cure for migraine headaches.

Preventive Measures

• Having vitamin B2 supplements on a regular basis for around three months has been proven to be quite effective in lowering migraine frequency.
• Herb butterbur has also been found to be a wonderful remedy to avert migraines to an extent as it aids proper flow of blood to various parts of the brain.