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The Complete Guide to Migraine Headaches by Alice Peart Page 25 of 87

7. What is the Real Cause of Migraine Headaches?

There are no clear medical reports to pinpoint any particular cause for migraine

headaches. However, the majority opinion favors changes in blood flow to the

brain. Normally, migraine patients have very sensitive blood vessels.

How Does it Happen?

Any stressful event affects your brain. This occurs mainly due to the

concentration of innumerable nerves in the arteries at the base of the brain.
Stress causes seizure or contraction of most of these nerves. This, in turn,

affects the functioning of the arteries carrying blood to the brain. Therefore, your
scalp and arteries of your neck suffer from reduced blood supply.

So, your brain also receives less blood. The brain immediately senses some

danger, and that leads to the formation of blood clotting platelets. Serotonin is a
chemical substance released during this process. This substance further restricts

the supply of blood to arteries and brain.

Lower blood supply leads to a lesser supply of oxygen to the brain. Lack of

oxygen causes unclear vision and/or speech, headache and other symptoms,
similar to those of a nervous breakdown.

A cyclic reaction takes place among the other arteries of the body. They widen to
carry more blood to the brain. However, such widening releases prostaglandins

from different blood cells and tissues. These prostaglandins are pain-causing

substances and lead to swelling and inflammation. The widening and resultant
inflammation causes the throbbing sensation. This sensation is primarily felt as
migraine headaches.

This shows that migraine headaches are primarily a neurological disorder. The

first affliction is in the nerves, which triggers a series of reactions and

counteractions in other body systems. Hence, you experience certain changes
and imbalances before the onset of migraine pain in the head.

Copyright © 2006 Alice Peart 25.