Migraines

What are migraines?

A migraine is a type of severe headache that often affects one side of the head and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting or increased sensitivity to light.

Migraine headaches are one of the most common types of headache. They affect around 4 per cent of children, 6 per cent of men, and 18 per cent of women, and are most common in people aged between 25 and 55.

What are the symptoms of migraines

A severe migraine attack can cause a persistent throbbing or pounding pain, with sensitivity to light, sound and movement. The pain may be just on one side of the head, though there may be pressure on both. Attacks can last for up to 72 hours. There may also be nausea, sickness or diarrhoea, and a feeling of exhaustion. For migraine with aura, there are usually visual disturbances – flashing lights or black spots or herring-bone patterns – that start before the headache and last for up to an hour. During a migraine, many sufferers cannot tolerate light, sound or physical exertion and seek relief by lying down in a quiet dark room.

What causes migraine?

The cause of migraine is not fully understood but involves the balance between the body processes that stimulate the nervous system and those that relax it. The aura seems to result from this disturbance of the nerves, while increased blood flow in certain parts of the brain is involved in the painful headache. The brain chemical serotonin, whose levels drop during a migraine, is also involved.

In women who suffer from migraine, hormone changes may also be involved. In some women, migraine occur a few days before, during, and immediately after a period. About 70% of women who have migraine can relate their migraine headaches to their menstrual period.

About 80% of people who get migraine headaches have a family history of migraine, which suggests that they are, at least in part, inherited.

What triggers a migraine?

Some people find that their migraines are triggered by something. Triggers might include:

• certain foods - such as chocolate, cheese, red wine, citrus fruits, coffee, tea, tomatoes, potatoes
• too much or too little sleep,
• changes in hormone balance in women - such as periods, the pill, menopause
• stress, or relaxation after a period of stress
• irregular meals
• caffeine withdrawal
• physical activity
• smoking
• flashing lights
• noise
• weather
  high pressure conditions, changes in pressure,hot dry winds, change of season, exposure to sun and glare
• exercise - too much or too little
• sexual arousal
• smells - paint, fumes from car heaters or perfume.
  

Unfortunately, avoiding triggers may not prevent migraine, as most migraine are not caused by a single, identifiable trigger but some combination of factors.

Migraine types

There are two main types of migraine.
Migraine without aura (common migraine)
These affect around three quarters of people who get migraine. The headache comes on quite suddenly, without any warning at all. There are the usual migraine symptoms - headache, sickness, sensitivity to light, but there are no aura symptoms.
Migraine with aura (classic migraine)
This affects about a quarter of all migraine sufferers. People sense when a migraine is coming on. Nervous system symptoms - called an aura - develop before the migraine symptoms.
These may include:
· yawning,
· hunger and thirst,
· visual disturbances - such as seeing flashing lights or zig-zag lines.

Occasionally, the symptoms can be more severe - there may be a tingling around the mouth or in one arm, difficulty in speaking, or weakness in an arm or leg. Aura symptoms usually settle down within an hour.
Some people get the aura without the subsequent headache. This is more common in older people.

How can hypnotherapy help in the treatment of migraines?

Migraines will usually be caused by some kind of deep-rooted and unresolved emotional issue from the suffers past, but may be triggered by, for example, continuous exposure to unhealthy stress levels. Hypnotherapy helps by creating an relaxing and safe environment for the sufferer to expore and resolve the cause of the problem while enjoying a highly relaxed and comfortable state called hypnosis. Once the emotional issues have been resolved, the agoraphobia invariably dissapears.

Describe the treatment for migraines

The treatment for migraines usually involves a course of analytical therapy. Usually taking between 6 and 8 sessions (a maximum of 12) during which the sufferer is hypnotised and encouraged to release bottled-up emotion.

How long is the treatment for migraines?

Usually migraines will successfully treated within 6 to 8 sessions lasting about one hour each.These sessions should be carrried out once a week on consecutive weeks.

How much will it cost?

Analytcial therapy costs £45 per session.
Please see our Fees.

 

Contact us now by email: help@headhighhypnotherapy.co.uk