ONE COMMON HEALTH PROBLEM AMONG TEENAGERS

One of the common ailments a teenager might experience is the

occurrence of migraine. A migraine headache is a form of vascular headache.

Migraine headache is caused by vasodilatation (enlargement of blood

vessels) that causes the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around
the large arteries of the brain. Enlargement of these blood vessels stretches
the nerves that coil around them and causes the nerves to release chemicals.
The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the
artery. The increasing enlargement of the arteries magnifies the pain.

Migraine attacks commonly activate the sympathetic nervous system in

the body. The sympathetic nervous system is often thought of as the part of
the nervous system that controls primitive responses to stress and pain, the
so-called "fight or flight" response, and this activation causes many of the
symptoms associated with migraine attacks; for example, the increased
sympathetic nervous

Patients and their family members usually know that when they observe
these warning symptoms that a migraine attack is beginning.

An estimated 40%-60% of migraine attacks are preceded by premonitory

(warning) symptoms lasting hours to days. The symptoms may include:
sleepiness, irritability, fatigue, depression or euphoria, yawning, and cravings
for sweet or salty foods.

Submitted by:

LOIS LANE A. DE CLARO

GRADE 7 – ST. PHILIP