Sufferers can have 'aura' to warn of migraine
Q: How is a migraine different from a headache?
A: Almost everyone experiences headaches occasionally. Most headaches are mild enough that they don’t significantly hamper an individual’s lifestyle or impair the ability to perform the tasks that we usually carry out in a typical day. Migraines can have accompanying nausea and vomiting, as well as difficulty in thinking clearly. Migraines can also have associated warning signs of an impending migraine headache, known as the “aura.” This aura can be non-painful and will often include visual experiences, such as flashing lights or colors. Migraine headaches are often accompanied by a painful sensitivity to light, known as photophobia, as well as sensitivity to loud noise, known as phonophobia. Milder variants of headache do not have these accompanying sensitivities.
Q: Are there different types of migraines?
A: There are several different types of migraines, which are classified by the International Headache Society (IHS). These include migraines without aura, which is the most common variant of migraine headache. These headaches are typically accompanied with nausea, vomiting, photophobia or phonophobia, as mentioned above. Migraines with aura are the second most common variant of migraine headache. Basilar-type migraines are migraine headaches that are accompanied by brainstem dysfunction during the headache, which can cause difficulty in speaking as well as dizziness. More severe episodes of basilar-type migraines can lead to possible stroke, although this is rare. There are also abdominal migraines that principally affect children and may not feature a headache at all, but abdominal symptoms, such as a dull abdominal pain, with associated loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting and possible moodiness. Menstrual migraines affect about 21 million women in the United States. Menstrual migraines often occur around the timing of the menstrual period and can be more severe than the typical migraine, with more associated nausea and vomiting. Menstrual migraines are often treated with the same medications used to treat other migraine headaches.
Q: What triggers migraines? Read more
Woman with two wombs gives birth to a million-in-one baby girl
A new mother who has two sets of reproductive systems has surprised doctors and the medical world by giving birth to a healthy baby girl.
Lindsay Hasaj, who was diagnosed with a dual reproductive system or uterus didelphys in November, gave birth to Mirela Elizabeth by Caesarean section last week.
Although eight in 10,000 women have some form of uterus didelphys only one in a million have Mrs Hasaj’s anatomy.
Her condition halves the chances of fertilisation, but she astonished doctors by having a straightforward operation, after having check-ups every fortnight during her pregnancy.
Speaking at their home in Finchely, north London, Mrs Hasaj’s husband, Tony, 30, said: ‘We’re absolutely delighted.
‘Mirela is beautiful and healthy, and everything went very smoothly. She is very special.’
Mrs Hasaj’s rare condition was detected after she had gone to hospital in November with a pain in her abdomen.
She feared she was having an ectopic pregnancy – when a baby grows outside the womb – and was surprised when doctors revealed the reason behind her pain. Read more
10 Most Common Phobias
These are the ten most common phobias across the world. Chances are that almost everyone you meet will have experienced at least one of these phobias.
1. Agoraphobia
This is usually expressed as a fear of open spaces, but sometimes it can also be a fear of crowded places. It can manifest itself as panic attacks.
2. Arachnophobia
This is the fear of spiders. It’s so common, they’ve even made a movie of the same name. Despite the fact that most spiders are not harmful, we seem to have a collective fear of them.
3. Acrophobia
The fear of heights. Maybe it’s standing close to the edge of a cliff, or looking out of the window of our hotel room. Fear of heights manifests in lots of ways. At it’s extreme, it may even mean that we can’t take a ride in an glass fronted elevator.
4. Claustrophobia
The opposite of agoraphobia. This is the fear of confined or enclosed spaces. This is often accompanied by a fear of being unable to escape from the situation. It can be experienced in elevators, trains or planes.
5. Aviophobia
The fear of flying. Even though flying is one of the safest forms of transport, people are often afraid of flying. It’s often a combination of several other phobias, including not being in control and a fear of having a panic attack. Read more
