What are the basic causes of migraine

asks siddhartha:
A. Migraine is not a regular headache - it's a debilitating condition, and the symptoms include: an intense throbbing pain on one side of the head; feeling nauseous and even vomiting; visual disturbances, such as flashing lights or patterns before the eyes; sensitivity to light, noise and smells; tingling or weak feeling in the arms and legs. An attack lasts from about four hours to three days.

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Q. How common is it
A. In the UK, up to 15% of the population get them on average once a month, and it's three times as likely to affect women. All ages are affected - even children - and the first attack usually comes before the age of 20.

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Researchers found that those with the most severe migraines lost almost 18 hours of work a month, costing their employers an average of �3,000 a year.

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Q. So what are the triggers
A. Common triggers are chocolate, cheese and red wine. Other triggers include:

• dairy or fried foods
• citrus fruits
• stress - and relaxing after a stressful time!
• not enough sleep or too much of it
• hereditary factors
• anger
• anxiety
• cutting out meals
• the Pill
• hormones - a study of the levels of hormones controlled by the hypothalamus (part of the brain) found abnormalities in samples from migraine sufferers. The hypothalamus regulates as body temperature, hunger and thirst
• tension - researchers found that migraine sufferers clench the temporalis muscles - which cover the sides of the skull - during their sleep 14 times more intensely than others. When they slept wearing a mouthguard (known as the Tension Suppression System), 82% of users had a 77% reduction in their migraine pain, and some stayedmigraine-free for months.

Q. How can I work out what's causing mine
A. Eat regularly, exercise, avoid stress and try relaxation techniques. Keep a diary to work out what your triggers are.��Visit your GP to see what treatment is available.

Or you could just use it to your advantage...

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Q. How's that
A. Get arty. A new study reveals that the fractured paintings of Picasso's early work resemble the visual phenomena experienced by some migraine sufferers - particularly the female faces with a vertical split where the two halves have shifted.

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By Sheena Miller

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