Henry Hooker MD, an accomplished Neurologist, is also a Board Certified Headache Specialist, and has been the head of the Cumberland Neurology Group Headache Clinic for over 18 years. As someone who specializes in the treatment of various types of headache conditions, Hooker commonly receives numerous questions on Migraines, specifically what they are, what causes them and the best ways to treat migraine pain.

Below, National Headache Foundation member Henry Hooker MD takes time to provide answers to several of the most commonly asked inquiries patients pose about migraine headaches.

What Exactly Is a Migraine?
According to the National Headache Foundation, migraines generally start out as a dull ache, developing into a throbbing, even pulsating pain in the individual’s temples. More often than not, as Henry Hooker MD knows, a migraine will be accompanied by light and noise sensitivity, nausea and vomiting, and, in some cases, people experience an aura during a migraine attack.

What Exactly is An Aura, and How Is It Related to a Migraine?
An aura, as Henry Hooker MD knows, generally only occurs in about 15-20 percent of migraine sufferers, and includes the experience of seeing either jagged lines or flashing lights. An aura can even include the experience of tunnel vision or blind spots, and may be also entail visual and/or auditory hallucinations, perhaps even smell, taste or touch disruptions. Auras are a manifestation of the neurological symptoms often occurring become a migraine.

What Can Trigger, or Activate, a Migraine Headache?
Many different things can end up triggering a person’s migraine headache, says Henry Hooker MD, though these triggers vary depending on the individual. While hormones or certain foods can trigger a migraine in one individual, it may be the weather, stress or something else for another.

What Can I Do To Treat a Migraine?
There are a variety of treatments and medications currently available to treat migraine headaches, as Henry Hooker MD knows, though recurring migraine pain may require a consultation with a medical professional. Though acute, over-the-counter and preventive medications currently exist, everyone has different reasons and/or causes for their migraine symptoms, so be sure to seek out the advice and treatment of a medical professional before determining which treatment and/or medication is right for you.