Menopause is defined as the time
when there has been no menstrual periods for 12 consecutive
months and no other biological or physiological cause can be
identified. It is the end of fertility, the end of the
childbearing years. Women may still, however, be able to
become pregnant unless 12 consecutive months have passed
without a period. A woman can usually tell if she is
approaching menopause because her menstrual periods starts
changing. The medical terms used to describe this time are "peri-menopause"
and the "menopause transition."
Headache is defined as pain in the head that is located
above the eyes or the ears, behind the head, or in the back
of the upper neck. Headache, like chest pain or dizziness,
has many causes.
There are two types of headaches: primary headaches and
secondary headaches. Primary headaches are not associated
with other diseases. Examples of primary headaches are
migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster
headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by associated
disease. The associated disease may be minor or serious and
life threatening.
Tension headaches are the most common type of primary
headache; as many as 90% of adults have had or will have
tension headaches. Tension headaches are more common among
women than men.
Migraine headaches are the second most common type of
primary headache. An estimated 28 million people in the
United States (about 12% of the population) will experience
migraine headaches. Migraine headaches affect children as
well as adults. Before puberty, boys and girls are affected
equally by migraine headaches, but after puberty, more women
than men are affected. An estimated 6% of men and up to 18%
of women will experience a migraine headache.
A migraine headache is a form of vascular headache. Migraine
headache is caused by a combination of the enlargement of
blood vessels and the release of chemicals from nerve fibers
that coil around the blood vessels. During a migraine
attack, the temporal artery enlarges. Enlargement of the
temporal artery stretches the nerves that coil around the
artery and causes the nerves to release chemicals. The
chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement
of the artery. The increasing enlargement of the artery
magnifies the pain. |
Allergies
