Fridays are usually, if not the most anticipated day of the week for students and working people. It's the last day of the week which means a halt from your books, from your computer, from the never ending meetings and away from your professors or your bosses. Friday nights can simply mean fun, fun, fun! For some, fun means going out with friends, eating out in a fancy restaurant, partying all night, and drowning ourselves with beer or hard liquors! And the next morning, what do we get from it? A big lump on our heads...headaches, and for others, it is a much more aggravated condition called migraine headaches. Migraine headache is a very painful type of headache. It is described as an intense pounding pain in one area of the head.



According to a recent research, seventeen percent of women and six percent of men in the United States have experienced having migraine. The causes of migraines are unknown. They may result from a series of reactions in the central nervous system caused by changes in the body or in the environment. More often, the condition can also be genetic or a condition that runs in the family.

Migraine pains can be very tormenting for some that it can actually affect their activity for hours or even days. People who have migraines can be extremely sensitive to light and sound. It is also often accompanied by other signs and symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. However, do not be alarmed as studies have shown that there are various drugs that are effective for treating migraine. Beta blockers, anti-depressants, calcium channel blockers and anti-convulsants are known to help prevent migraine attacks. But it is always best to visit your physician once you see a drastic change in the severity or frequency of your headaches.

But there is still another form of migraine that is unknown to most people. Did you know that even the so-called ?windows of our souls? experience what is termed as Ocular Migraine or Visual Migraine. Visual migraine is somehow related to the usual migraine. Like the head migraine, visual migraine is caused by vascular spasm. Vascular spasm is a sudden, brief, tightening of a blood vessel. During visual migraine episode, the spasm affects the flow of blood supply to the visual center of the brain, or that part that controls our sense of sight. These painful episodes usually start with a visual disturbance that appears from the peripheral vision. People with this condition often see an irregular polygon or zig-zag type of shimmering light. The light becomes bigger and will eventually be seen as pale pastel in color. The disturbance can last from fifteen to twenty minutes, and then, it can just quickly disappear.

Experts believe that stress can also cause visual migraine. Typically, it occurs after long hours in the computer, watching television, reading, and other activities that require immense concentration. It can also affect people who wear eyeglasses. The eyestrain usually disappears after the eyes are rested for some time.

However, this condition is not as painful or as debilitating as a migraine headache. A person with visual migraine may even just feel a slight headache. Many visual migraine sufferers also complain of fatigue after getting a visual migraine. This condition can actually be treated if a migraine suffer will take the time to consult a doctor, preferably a neurologist. Most likely, the doctor will prescribe medications that would suit your particular condition. Friday nights can be a time for partying and a time to have that well-deserved night-out. But for some, it is nothing but a stay-in battle against ?Friday nights headache? or ?Friday nights' shimmering lights.?

After a busy and crazy five days at school or at the office, it may still be good to consider putting off ?painting the town red.? Maybe it's time to think about the two very important anatomical parts -- our eyes and our head, vital organs that need time to rest and recuperate just like the rest of our body.